From Long Distance
by suikalopolis
Summary: [DISCONTINUED] AU However, Gackt wasn't much a narcissist so he didn't particularly spared a small thought on how lovely he might have looked at that moment. No, in fact, he was downright outraged by the fact that he had been suddenly whacked in the face by a broom.
1. The Wheel Starts to Spin

**Summary: **Moving out and settling in outlandish urban monster Tokyo wasn't that scary. Juggling part-time jobs wasn't that intolerable. Why, living in a small one-room apartment that had a freaking gap between the wall and the ceiling wasn't that bad either. What was bad, of course, was the guy next door. An obnoxious one that irks him 24/7 with, well, everything. But then again, there was Hyde. So life wasn't all that bad. Funny how fickle it was though. [GacktxHyde

**A/N:** What's this? Writing in a Moon Child fandom but it ain't related to the movie itself? Well, that's true…but it's just that doesn't exactly have a category for JRock slash, you know? So yes, this little piece has no relation to the movie whatsoever and that it solely revolves around the two stars, Gackt and Hyde. I would like to join the LJ community and post it there but seeing that I don't have a lot of access to the net, I suppose setting up an account there would deem useless. Though I would like to try and write a KeixSho one day… /looks up in thought before shrugging and returning back to insane typing/

Well now. It was quite unlikely, but after watching a classic black-and-white Malaysian movie on television one afternoon, I really liked the plot of the movie where leading double lives can lead to a lot of mishap. It's a good movie actually, called _Masam Masam Manis _(which literally means 'Sour Sour Sweet' in Malay) with legendary Malaysian actor P. Ramlee starring in it. However, the only problem was I couldn't really understand what the actors were talking about due to my inability of grasping the Malay language entirely (despite the fact that I speak it almost everyday with those around me XP). Thank god for English subtitles! XD

Anyhow. I was inspired by such a simple yet brilliant occurrence that could happen in real life (in a wacky sort of way) that I decided to settle down and let these demented fingers of mine to type away absentmindedly. Adding to that, I've always wanted to try and write a **GakuHai** for sometime. So, here it is. A first attempt at something that is not anime/game-related. Hope it goes well.

**IMPORTANT NOTE!! **The content of this story is absolutely **FICTIONOUS** and entirely **ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE (AU).** Expect the characters to be slightly OOC to some extent, all in order to suit the flow of the story because I, myself, am not particularly sure how their real personalities are like as well as their true attitudes towards one another. Some content may refer to Gackt's actual experiences (with reference to his autobiography _Jihaku_) but if that may happen, all events will be **twisted** to be entirely **fiction**. For Gackt though, I do try to remain as true to his personality as was portrayed in _Jihaku_, particularly his wayward character during adolescence.

**Warnings:** One heck of a LONG chapter, **profanity**, gorgeous **bishonens**and a lovely portion of the all awesome **shonen-ai**.

**Disclaimer:** This story is **purely fiction** and is therefore **not intended to be taken as fact**. All publicly recognisable people in this story have been used for the work of fiction and **the authoress DOES NOT have the intention to imply that these events have happened, will happen or should happen.** The authoress has no absolute association with the renowned people and makes no claim of any sort on their persons.

* * *

A slight pursing of lips.

A shuffling of shoes against carpet.

There was a sweeping of a deep blue gaze, appraising.

Fluster. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry about the state of the place. Why, I hadn't been expecting you to arrive so early! Please excuse the mess, the room had been recently constructed and is currently being refurbished. Goodness, if I would have known you were to arrive here so soon, I would have told the constructers to speed up. Good gracious, I'm really –"

"It's alright."

Long pale fingers reached up and delicately removed the dark shades from the bridge of a slender nose, tucking it to the collar of a shirt. A pair of full, pink lips slowly parted, almost alluringly, before a recently lit cigarette was wedged into the space between. There was a slight swaying of russet tresses as a tall, lean body stepped further into the small room, deep blue eyes scrutinising the vicinity.

A puff of smoke, "I'll take it."

A surprised blink. "Eh? Oh but son, you mustn't force yourself! Surely, there must other vacant rooms out there which are in much better shape than this. Ah! What about the room downstairs? As a matter of fact, Mr. Hiraishi has just moved out as you have arrived, you may move there if you'd like. It's much more homely and–"

"No, I don't mind. In fact, it's just perfect."

"Well…if you insist. But – oh, goodness me! What about the lights? Heavens, I haven't got the men to install them just yet! Oh dear, do forgive an old woman like me, I tend to forget such things. Dear, oh dear, I need to call those men! Ah, but where did I place their number? Surely I must have –"

The cigarette was removed and another wisp of smoke was breathed out. "Please, don't bother about it."

"What? No lights? Oh no, that simply mustn't do, as a landlady it is my job that my tenants have such necessities up to their satisfactions!"

"Ah…but this tenant is already satisfied with what the landlady has provided," Deep blue eyes meticulously examined the cigarette stick that was carefully held between nimble fingers, speculating the small embers and ash at the edge. There was a slight twitch at the corner of the brunet's mouth. "There is no need for lights since I don't favour them, let alone use them very much."

The landlady looked astonished. "No need? Goodness me, young man, how do you work all this time?"

Upon that being said, the brunet glanced over his shoulder and looked at her, his deep blue eyes boring into her form, completely devoid of any sort of emotion. Like a porcelain doll, he stood there, watching her carefully with a deadpan expression. The look, miraculously enough, had managed to compliment those beautiful features idyllically. The atmosphere within the small room felt heavy with awkwardness on the landlady's behalf. She then realised that she was holding her breath, looking back at him with an air of anxious expectancy. It seemed like an eternity as they held each other's gazes, appraising each other's presence.

And then, a smile.

A small smile it was, yet it did wonders by illuminating the young man's features, making him look even more fetching than ever. Really, the young man was simply stunning. In conjunction to the slight upturn of his lips, the brunet's deep blue eyes ignited with a tad bit of subliminal amusement.

"Why, I use candles."

* * *

**F r** o m** L** o **n** g **D** i **s t** **a **n **c **e

– **a **G**ac**kt**x**H**yd**e sto**ry** –

**C**ha**pt**er O**n**e: **Th**e W**hee**l St**ar**ts t**o** S**pi**n

By **s**** u I k a's** **w I n d** o _f_ t h e **c e l e s t I a l**

**

* * *

**

It has been a week or so since he had arrived. A week or so since he had got himself a job at a local casino. A week or so in which he was thankfully able to get an affordable place to stay. A week or so by which he had to _kindly_ assure the landlady each passing day that he really had no need for electric bulbs and was entirely happy with working under candlelight. Really, the elderly woman was a persistent one.

Gackt sipped his coffee and set the mug down upon the table, cursing quietly when some of the warm liquid sloshed over the rim of the cup and spilt across the keyboard of his laptop. Without haste, he reached down to the third drawer of his small desk and drew out a box of tissues, soon setting out to clean the small mess he had carelessly made. _Coffee is ridiculously expensive_, he thought, tossing the used tissue into the wastepaper basket before taking another small sip, his deep blue eyes scrutinising meticulously across the screen. He had no idea why You reveres the drink so much. Speaking of which…

The brunet paused, his mug halting before his parted lips. He then glanced over to the side, watching fixatedly at the dim candlelight that flickered beside him, the feeble flame swaying from side to side in an awkward flimsy dance. He narrowed his eyes slightly, frowning a little in thought.

You was probably busy. Gackt knew that he wouldn't have much time for him at the moment, seeing how hard he was trying to improve his guitar skills as well as taking up violin lessons. He remembered first arriving in urban monster Tokyo, anxious of the exotic big city and what lies within it. In just one glance, he was disturbed, if not, amazed by so many diverse lifestyles and subcultures that had been led and taken up by the youths of the city, the bizarre hectic atmosphere that screamed 'RUSH!' had greedily engulfed him in a mere second as soon as he stepped onto the busy crowded street. The air was outlandish. A far cry from what he had breathed in Kyoto. It was foreign, strange, spontaneous. Yet he liked it nonetheless. He had enough of monotony.

Upon arriving too, You had offered him to stay at a place he had found and booked earlier on (by aid of the internet) to stay in. You was prepared as always, unlike him who tended to jump in without thinking about the consequences. So Gackt, of course, had declined the offer. Apart from being slightly embarrassed by his nature of being ill-equipped, he didn't want to be a burden to his friend. And he had his pride, of course. He'd rather learn to be independent the hard way, which was quite a step at the mere tender age of nineteen where most lackadaisical young men of his age would have trouble deciding what to do and where to go then. Gackt, however (despite being somewhat of a lackadaisical male himself), already had a goal set in his mind ever since he was in high school: Get out and get a new life. Yep, Gackt had a one-track mind after all. If he wanted something, then he would not stop to rest until he eventually would. No matter what.

You was outraged at first though, the moment he had heard Gackt had made an impetuous decision to move out of Kyoto to start a new life in Tokyo without the consult of anyone. Miffed (and of course being the protective and somewhat steadfast friend he was), he too had decided to venture out to Tokyo alongside him as well.

"You…really, you don't have to…" he had tried to say, only to be hushed when his friend's finger was pressed against his own lips.

"What? And let you have all the fun?" the blond had said with a friendly smirk and a playful wink, "Hell no. I'm coming along to keep an eye on you, whether you like or not."

Gackt smiled wistfully at the thought of his jovial friend, taking a sip of his coffee once again before grimacing at that bitter aftertaste. "Cheers," he muttered to no one in particular and drained the mug.

A silence ensued, only to be speckled with the occasional clicks of the mouse as well as the rhythmic tapping of socked feet against the leg of his desk.

Gackt frowned a little, scrutinizing the screen yet once again at a particularly interesting article of a website. A pale, long finger swept across the touchpad, meticulously guiding the mouse to–

"Argh, _dammit_."

A sudden thump. And the fumbling of clothes.

The brunet blinked, his attention deviously snatched from him and thus guided his blue eyes towards the wall against his bed. He blinked once again. _Clothes?_ He stopped, abandoning his current activity and stared at a particular point upon the insubstantial wall, trained ears straining to listen in the deafening silence.

A dangerous wavering of a feeble flame, the candlelight further dimming the already dark room.

A pause.

Then he heard it.

The soft yet impatient rustling of material.

Deep blue eyes ignited with mild interest. _Stripping?_

Out of mild inquisitiveness, he unconsciously leant forward a little and struggled to listen carefully for conformation.

No. It was merely the dissatisfied shifting of a body upon the bed, searching for a spot of comfort yet failing to do so. So no, it was definitely not stripping.

A faint deflated look.

"Tsk."

Darn.

_Rustle. Rustle._

A weak flicker of candlelight.

_Thump. Flop. Thump._

There was a slight hardening of blue eyes, an air of expectancy.

_Flop. Flop._

"……"

Finally, a sharp exhalation of frustration.

"God _dammit_…"

A rustle of bed sheets.

Soon there was the padding of soft, mindful footsteps against hushed creaking wood. The turning of a doorknob and the gentle click of a closing door, eventually followed by the light thuds that soon faded through further descent of the stairs.

Gackt kept his gaze upon his door for a moment, curious yet mildly surprised upon the fact that he had not encountered his neighbour yet, let alone know the fact that there was actually someone living next door. Or perhaps he did without really realising it.

"How…strange."

After a few blinks and a moment of resolute staring, the brunet eventually shrugged it off, turned back to his laptop and resumed back to reading.

Beside him, the candle brightened with newfound vigour.

* * *

"C…cu…ry"

A small thud, as the tip of the pencil dropped onto a sheet of paper. There was a delicate sway of long ebony locks and a dulling of clouded dark brown eyes as they raised their gaze up to the ceiling piteously. Really pathetic indeed.

A grumble of protest was made and a hand slowly rubbed across the surface of a lean yet oh so very empty stomach. Another wail of hunger and Hyde groaned, slamming his unfortunate forehead against the surface of the table. Clutching his stomach, he rubbed his forehead just nicely against his half-finished sketch, ignorant of the smudges that may blemish his forehead, before thumping his poor abused head upon the hard surface yet once again.

"…food…"

_Thump._

"…need…food…"

_Thump._

"…want…food…"

_Thump._

"Ugh…so hungry…."

A brutal _SLAM!_

"Argh! I want my curry rice!"

Hyde rolled his head to the side and rubbed his cheek against his paper, pliant lips parting slightly as he stared at the door dumbly. Moaning and groaning like the agonised dying man he thought he was, the pencil between his fingers soon began their impatient rhythmic thumping against the table as he continued with his woeful griping.

"…curry…rice…"

Pitiful. By now, any sane person would have stood up, pull on some warm clothes (seeing that it was autumn), grab an umbrella and go out to get something to eat or some ingredients to cook in the kitchen downstairs. Hyde, however…

_Thump._

"…food…"

Oh yes. Hyde was, in actual fact, quite the lazy ass. The foolish, imprudent man.

"God dammit…" he groaned, thumping his jaw against the table, "First, the bed was flat and hard and now the curry service is slow? Ugh, I need to file in a complaint…"

Upon saying that, heavy footsteps slowly thudded up the stairs, the wooden steps squeaking in protest as the weight of the individual strained them. Hyde ceased all actions and perked up in his seat, suddenly looking very alive. His dark eyes brightened with expectancy.

_Is it…!?_

The footsteps advanced closer.

Nimble fingers grasped the edge of the table in anticipation.

_Could it…!?_

Closer and closer. A pause and the sound of a doorknob being slowly turned.

Alas, hell broke loose.

"Yes! My curry!" Hyde made a mad dash to his door and flung it open with a burst of energy, grinning broadly from ear to ear. Why, a crazed look like that was bound to give one heck of a heart attack to the poor, unfortunate individual who stood on the other side.

Only, that there wasn't.

"Eh?" Hyde blinked, grin faltering a tad bit.

Dark eyes stared at the empty space before him, one that should have been occupied by the vital person who was deemed responsible for delivering his dearly beloved curry rice. He frowned at the vacant spot. Where were they? Were they running late or something? Caught up in traffic? Can't be. They were just down the street. Or perhaps they were conceivably devouring the dish at this very moment, soon to approach him at a later time with a feign apology, stating that there had been an accident on the road and the dish was ruined? Hyde gave the matter a thought, looking at the different possibilities that had sprung in his mind. Perhaps he should call them and holler down the phone, complaining about their sluggish service? Or maybe he should…

For some unknown reason, those dark eyes unexpectedly glanced over to the side. All in time to catch a small glimpse of a stunning copper sheen of brown hair and the swish of a long dark coat. All before the dark-haired man was soon greeted by the sound of a gentle click the white-washed door made upon being closed.

A faint scent of cool musk was left in its wake.

Hyde blinked yet once again, this time, genuinely surprised.

_So that's him…?_

He had heard, of course, that there was a new tenant (he heard they were a male so therefore presumed they must be male) lodging into the house but he had expected the individual to move into the recently vacant room on the ground floor downstairs. He was quite surprised that the newcomer had decided to move into the refurbished room beside his, one of the only two rooms on the floor (besides the bathroom and closet that is – other than that it was only the stairs and a large window (beside his new neighbour's room) that would light the landing during daytime). Originally there was only one master bedroom before he himself moved in about a month ago, but the landlady had decided to turn it into two rooms. Well, if he recalled correctly, he remembered her mentioning that the room beside him was meant to be a store room, not to be rented by anyone due to the room having no lights at all and that it must be far too small for anyone's liking.

A dark eyebrow was raised.

Yet she allowed the person to take the lightless room nonetheless. Even though it was deemed far too gloomy for any sane living being to stay within it.

A look of awe.

How on earth did he manage to survive in there for the past week? Without an utterance of any sort even?

Interest piqued, Hyde stepped out of his room and approached the other's door tentatively, contemplating whether he should knock and greet the other man. There was a pursing of pliant lips. Perhaps he should. Besides, it was a neighbourly thing to do, right? Wetting his dry lips in apprehension, he then reached over and slowly raised his knuckles when –

A loud _grumble_ of protest emerged from his stomach

Hyde stopped in mid-step, his face immediately screwing up into a comical expression that was notably rather amusing to point and laugh at. The corner of his mouth twitched in unison with the slight tweak of a dark refined eyebrow. There was a slight gritting of teeth, though the supposed angry face looked entirely out of place upon his laughable awkward expression.

_Patience, will you!? Just let me say hello and –!_

An angry _growl_ of insistent demand

In an instant he withdrew. Clutching his unhappy and protesting stomach, he quickly scuttled back into his room and slammed the door behind him with unbelievable formidable force.

_**

* * *

SLAM**_

"What the fu–!"

Pale fingers loosened impulsively and the recently relieved dark coat slithered to the floor in a rumpled heap.

Gackt jumped slightly, startled by the sudden thunderous sound that came from the next room. Deep blue eyes diverted their attention towards the wall beside him, wide with franticness and incredulity as he rested his palm across his chest to steady the intense pounding of his heartbeat. "Slamming the door so hard…" he murmured reproachfully.

After staring at the wall for a moment and a curt shake of a head, he then made his way further into his room, running a pale hand through his russet tresses. Fishing out a lighter from his pocket, he set to light all the candles that he had prudently placed around his room. Upon reaching the last candle though, Gackt was soon in for another surprise. As that delicate hand that firmly grasped the slim body of the lighter reached over to the thin flimsy wick, a raucous cry had suddenly erupted from beyond the wall thus startling the poor brunet into a small stumble which he luckily managed to catch himself. Incredulous, the young man slowly turned to stare at the wall in disbelief. "What the hell…?"

_Thump._

Gackt blinked, surprised.

_Thump._

A muffled woeful moan.

Another blink. Once. Twice. Make that three.

_Thump. Groan. Thump._

A prolonged stare of involuntary awe.

_Thump. Whinge. Thump. Thump._

And then…

_SLAM!_

"I'M STARVING! ARGH, GOD DAMMIT! I WANT MY CURRY RICE!"

Gackt recoiled a feet away from his bed and gaped at the wall before him, blue eyes shamelessly wide for the young man was downright alarmed. And when the thumping resumed yet once again, those blue orbs just seem to widen even more.

Good gracious.

Just what on earth was this person doing next door? Was he…

A derisive sound was made and there was a terse shake of head.

Clearly, the other mustn't be some sort of…_masochist_, no? Why, he couldn't possibly be brutally beating himself senseless (how the person did it, he did not know. Or want to know for that matter) now, could he? And all because he was hungry and craving for some…what was it? Curry rice?

Gackt couldn't hold back that bark of wry laughter.

Why, an act such as that is clearly a dim-witted one. A foolish one, indeed. Really, who would be that idiotic to not go out and get himself some food to ease off his hunger, eh? Heaven forbid, but a person like that is clearly nothing but a futile, imperceptive, senseless _moron_.

((In the room next door, Hyde sneezed.))

Oh yes, a person like that is nothing but a minuscule little _slug_.

((Again, Hyde sneezed.))

Gackt nodded to himself in agreement. Yep, definitely a god forsaken _low class_ **slug**.

A loud, violent sneeze wafted through the wall.

"Bless you," Gackt said absentmindedly, stepping forward once again in order to light up the lone candle that had been momentarily forgotten, innocently perched upon the surface of his small desk. A flourish of a lighter. A flick of a switch. Deep blue eyes scrutinised the small flame, watching the wick ignite with a gradual spark of promising vivacity. It swayed a little as a feeble draft had managed to skulk its way into the room through the small slit between the loose windows. It swept past him, invisible fingers tantalisingly trailing nonexistent patterns upon his warm skin. He shuddered a little at the ghostly sensations.

Darting his gaze to the window, Gackt glanced outside abstractedly, fleetingly taking note of a man who stood at the opposite of the road, his hands running over the wheel of his bicycle as he examined it closely. Blue eyes, lacklustre, watched in silence as a small shower had decided to fall, the small raindrops pattering lightly against the glass of his window. He pitied the man out there, standing in the rain, figuring out a way to try to get the wheel to spin. The chain must be jammed.

A pensive look.

Perhaps he should shut the windows tightly, in case the rain starts to intensify.

Upon taking one step forward though, a droplet of wetness flourished from out of the blue and carelessly plopped onto his slender nose. Surprised, Gackt reached up intuitively and touched the moist curvature of the bridge of his nose. Water…? He stared at the drop of water upon his finger in wonder. Where…?

The brunet looked up, only to frown upon seeing a small wet patch that lingered against the plaster discreetly, in hopes of being able to hide within the shadows creeping along the pale surface. Dampening with every passing second.

Blue eyes wandered across the white-washed ceiling, finding yet another one hovering closely to his bed. Equally dripping.

_Drip._

_Drip._

_Drip._

Gackt glared.

* * *

That does it.

Hyde stood up abruptly, a fire of indignation burning behind those dark eyes. Glancing at the digital clock on his desk, he cleared away his pencils and tucked them away into his drawer before turning around to pull out warmer clothes from his closet. Well now. It seems that the curry people were taking their own delightfully sweet time to reach here. It was taking far too long. Ridiculously long, in fact.

And Hyde was angry about it. No, not angry. He was downright outraged! It didn't take an hour or so for a simple dish of curry rice to get here. Why, it certainly did not take that long the last time he ordered it (which was yesterday) and or even the day before that. Good gracious, this was absolutely absurd!

And so, Hyde was about to do something unconditionally drastic. An act that was simply unthinkable and disbelieving to anyone who was associated with the unbelievably idle dark-haired male.

A pair of jeans were hastily wrenched away from pale slender legs before a clean pair of dark ones were tugged on rashly, a lean body staggering clumsily as socked nimble feet struggled to maintain balance upon the wooden floorboards.

Oh yes.

Pale nimble fingers began to clumsily work on the buttons of his black polo t-shirt.

He was going **out** to complain.

* * *

There was a sodden patch on his ceiling.

And Gackt was far from being happy about his discovery.

He glared at the small patch, pliant lips firmly pursed into a taut line. He cursed softly and stepped forward, examining the faintly browning plaster closely. It didn't look very threatening though, which was a good sign. But still. It could burst any day from now if more rainwater accumulates there. And the brunet was certainly not looking forward to sleeping in room where he would wake up to see a god forsaken hole staring down at him. Especially one that would allow the rain to freely fall through. He wasn't particularly keen on having a personal waterfall in his room, thank you very much.

He glared at it once again, for good measure.

He needed to do something about it. Perhaps he should inform the landlady tomorrow. Yes, that seems rational and less troubling for her, and that he was certainly not in the mood to be dealing with another session of her harassing him about the lights again.

Once again, those blue eyes speculated the wet patch, soon to wander aimlessly along the white-washed plaster in search for more. That is, before his gaze come in contact with…

Gackt blinked.

Is that…

A step forward. And a look of bewilderment.

…a _gap_ between the wall and the ceiling?

Meanwhile, the man outside grasped the pedal of his bicycle tightly and started to turn it, struggling though ignorant of the rain pattering against his body.

Gackt stared for a moment longer, allowing the sight he was currently witnessing to assimilate into his surprisingly demurring brain.

No shit. There really was a gap above the wall.

The brunet regarded the wall before him, startled with his recent unanticipated sighting. A gap above the wall. What an uncanny sight it was, indeed! He took another step forward, examining it closely with developing interest. What on earth was it doing there?

Upon closer speculations, the young man finally came to realise that the wall was actually _short_ and that it was unable to reach the ceiling. A partition between rooms, it was called, to be exact. A partition by which the gap had involuntarily acted like a window into the room next door, thus unintentionally intruding into one's privacy…

A look of realisation.

It was no wonder he could easily hear the activities of the person in the room next door. Which was exactly what was happening at the moment then.

There was a staggering of unstable feet.

A hushed rustling of cloth.

And an occasional curse or two.

Blue eyes lit with compelling curiosity.

_Ah._

Perhaps…he should take a small peek over the ledge. Just a small one. You know, just to see how the room on the other side looks like. Or even this neighbour of his for that matter. Yes, he was definitely curious to know how this person looked like. Tempted, in fact. Now that wasn't a wrongful act, is it? Why, it wasn't like he was peeping or acting as some perverse voyeur of any sort (why the person next door was not a female, that was for sure – despite what the landlady claims it as – he had heard the person speak on the telephone occasionally (he was able to bring the phone upstairs?), so he was definitely male). Come now, it was just a quick look. A small look couldn't hurt right?

A curt nod of heartening determination.

Of course not.

And so, unable to restrain such gripping temptation, Gackt climbed onto his bed and (thanking those above silently for the benefits of being around 5"11) stood on his tiptoes, his long pale fingers enclosing around the brim of the partition. Pulling himself up slightly, those blue eyes soon cautiously peered over the rim.

The room was small, just like his, identical in fact. Only that this room had lights. And a bookshelf that was overflowing with horror and paranormal (Mystical Shamanism!? Was this person some sort of wannabe _witchdoctor_?) books as well as a huge disarrayed stack of manga comic books ushered into a corner. Beside it, a small television set had been shoved against the wall, perched upon a small table with a video game console attached to it. The console itself was tilted on its side dangerously as a shambled heap of various video games and music CDs were piled up beside the device messily. A trampled cushion had been carelessly kicked aside and under a small desk which was currently strewn haphazardly with sheets of paper, all bearing various indistinguishable pencil-drawn sketches. Pencils were scattered here and then, some rolling towards the edge precariously as a few books (the shamanic ones?) were left opened, all bearing pages that were imprinted with various tribal patterns. In another corner, just behind the door, was a small closet, its door ajar as it retched out a rumpled pile of clothes, a glimmer of a large mirror behind the closet door could be seen. Aside that, the wooden floor was cluttered with a few discarded garments and scrunched up pieces of pale paper, an empty packet of crisps discarded recklessly and forgotten beside the wastepaper basket that currently overflowed with even more pieces of crumpled paper.

The brunet grimaced slightly.

Really, the room was in such a bedraggled state. It was astounding that a person could live in such a mess. The room was a far cry from his dark, bleak and immaculate sanctuary. Though in the middle of all the clutter, however…

There was a lightening of deep blue eyes; a small yet evident spark of beguilement was detected within those subliminal hues.

A parting of lips occurred.

And a hushed inhalation of awe.

_Oh wow…_

There, standing the middle of the room, with his back turned towards him, was a lean young man (who was currently struggling to tug a dark shirt over and off his head) whose back was tattooed with a pair of jet-black wings embedded upon his back. Angels' wings, to be precise.

Gackt couldn't help but stare with captivation.

The delicate intricacy, the complex twists and turns, the sharp lines and swift refined curves of sheer black ink upon the smooth expanse of skin.

A slight twitch of pale fingers was made on the brunet's behalf.

Goodness. The tattoo was simply breathtaking.

However, speculations of such divine art was not one to last long as suddenly, unexpectedly, a little globule of water had decided to come out to play. Quickly creeping through the supposed decrepit plaster ceiling, it soon located its target and dripped down onto a currently enthralled Gackt's nose with a tiny, destructive explosion.

_PLOP!_

Surprised by the sudden contact of cool wetness, Gackt staggered back a little in surprise, stumbling upon the entanglement of sheets around his feet. Pale fingers gripped the brim ever so relentlessly as he struggled to maintain balance, his hip bumping with against the wall with a muffled yet audibly pronounced _thud_. Why, poor Gackt was way too preoccupied to spare a small glance at the window to watch the cyclist outside who pursed his lips in defiance and once again tugged on the pedal with all his might in attempt to free the stubborn chain.

* * *

Hyde cursed as one of buttons snagged on his hair, threatening to pull those poor ebony locks from their roots. Growling at the wincing pain, he uttered another incoherent curse as he struggled to free himself, fingers hastily untangling those locks whilst pulling the garment off.

However, upon finally managing to free his head…

_Thud._

Hyde froze, the shirt slipping off his arms entirely and soon slumped to the ground, landing in a disarrayed heap that joined its counterpart, the recently discarded jeans. His body became rigid, arms strangely poised in mid-air as his ears perked at the noticeably muffled sound.

_What…_

A look of trepidation had managed to slip its way upon the man's features. Slowly, Hyde looked over his shoulder with overwhelming dread before he abruptly stiffened, body tensing in the matter of mere seconds.

For there, perched upon the brim of the partition were ten delicate long fingers, curled and gripping the sturdy edge in a somewhat tentative manner.

Hyde stared. Utterly shocked.

_What. The. Hell._

For a moment, there was no movement or sound of any sort. Not even the wisps of rushing air being inhaled and exhaled by both parties were heard. The dark-haired male remained where he was, immobile like a stiff effigy.

A pregnant pause. All was still until–

The fingers twitched suddenly, maintaining a better grip on the brim of the stunted wall.

Hyde choked, enraged as a realisation soon came charging into the confines of his mind, gesticulating irately towards the affronting outrageousness of the situation he had managed to interpret as.

Good heavens.

There was a goddamn _pervert_ living in the room next door!

Hyde bristled with indignation, clearly offended. "Great! First the bed, then the curry rice and now this!?" he hissed vehemently through gritted teeth.

How unbelievable! It was no wonder the man next door was so silent for the past week. Why, he had been trying not to raise any suspicions. Well now, it seems that all of that was merely an act and that he had been waiting all along for the right moment to strike! Ooh, the nerve of him! Peeping at innocent people whilst they were getting changed! Heavens, the other must have really desperate to even peek at _men_ for goodness sake!

"Why that– god-damn…" he hissed, snatching a new shirt from the foot of his bed and hastily pulling it on before reaching for the nearest object within his reach. Gripping it tightly, the dark-haired male faced the wall promptly and waited in bated breath, dark eyes flaring as teeth were gritted in righteous anger. "You … I'll show _you_…!"

Wetting his lips in silent apprehension, Hyde watched those pale fingers tightened firmly and strained as the strong hands that came with it aided a body to pull itself up from the other side.

A tightening of grasp around hard wood.

A flourish of russet tresses, a gentle sheen of gold and copper came into the light.

An intake of breath.

There was a gradual, cautious emergence of deep blue eyes when–

"EAT THIS, PERVERT!"

A broom was brandished into the air, the tawny bristles gleaming menacingly in the light, before swiftly swinging down in an acute swoop and slamming straight into the intruder's face. The formidable impact startled the other man, causing the sudden release of fingers and a graceless stumble upon the other's behalf.

A loud crash was heard beyond the wall as the man's body toppled over and collided mightily onto the wooden floorboards, the impact of the sudden descent could be well felt in the form of little tremors beneath Hyde's socked feet.

Alas, flourish the fall of the Peeping Tom.

Upon that notion, the dark-haired man lifted his chin up haughtily and held the broom steadily by his side, smirking with compelling triumph.

* * *

Gackt stared, wide-eyed at the gap above the wall, utterly stunned and rendered absolutely speechless. A look of sheer surprise was etched upon his face, a comical expression that seemed to compliment those photogenic features nonetheless. Yes, upon being clumsily sprawled on his rear with his hands planted firmly by his sides as he supported his lithe body, the scene by which the newly recruited card dealer being laid out oh so alluringly simply looked far too enticing to let it go unnoticed. Oh yes, the brunet should be applauded for such skill to deftly land in such a pose that will clearly be attractive and suitable enough for the front covers of renowned fashion magazines.

However, Gackt wasn't much a narcissist so he didn't particularly spared a small thought on how lovely he might have (read: definitely) looked at that moment. No, in fact, he was downright outraged by the fact that he had been suddenly whacked in the face by a broom.

Yes, a _broom_. Out of all the things in the world. A goddamn, fucking **broom**.

Spectacular.

Gackt frowned, a pale hand reaching up to gingerly massage his currently throbbing and quickly warming nose. He flinched, however, as soon as he touched it. His frown deepened, mildly puzzled before allowing those pale fingers to curtly sweep across his nostrils, blue eyes soon glancing down at those long digits.

Only to…

Gackt gawked, astonished. Why, the contrast of vivid crimson _blood_ against creamy porcelain skin was a definitely striking one. It was an astonishing sight, and the brunet was unable to help but stare in utter grotesque.

He blinked. A moment of reminiscence.

_A flourish of tawny bristles…_

_And an agonizing blow to the nose…_

A ginger touch upon the bridge of a slender nose. A slight hiss and a flinch. A small glance.

Blood.

Another sweep of fingers across sensual lips was made, resulting to the most expected staining of red blood upon tips of nimble fingers.

A clenching of a fist.

A narrowing of blue eyes.

And the gritting of teeth, an act of absolute fury.

_Why that…_

Gackt's eyes blazed with unreserved infuriation as he glared up at the gap once more, only to scowl darkly when the distinguishable wicked glint of vile tawny bristles could be seen. The sheen of those bristles were taunting him, provoking him with a scornful air. He scowled even more.

A pulsation of a small gash upon the curvature of a nose.

A dribble of crimson over surly lips.

A dripping of blood off a refined chin, spattering across wooden floorboards.

There was a silent gnashing of teeth, in conjunction to the violent tug against the stubborn chain of the bicycle across the road.

Two twitches occurred in one fell swoop.

…_little…!_

Suddenly the young man stood on his feet with newfound vigour and glared up at the god forsaken gap above the wall, soon parting those lips and–

Of course, being the overly sceptical person as well as the oppressed scapegoat he resolutely thought he was, Gackt simply did what any persons of his sort would do in a maddening situation such as this.

He simply…

"THE HELL!? OY! JACKASS! WHAT THE FUCK WAS _THAT_ FOR!?"

…yelled like there was no tomorrow. Or, even more precise, at such an ungodly hour of the night where many tired souls would very well be inclined to replenish their energy for the following day. Yep, Gackt was not in the right mind to acknowledge those poor tenants downstairs at that moment then. Good gracious, all he cared at this moment was to–

"SCREW YOU, PERVERT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR PEEKING!" came the equally raucous cry of outrage from the other side, the broom brandished even more vigorously as could be seen from the gap.

Gackt bristled with indignation. "PERVERT!? WHO ARE YOU CALLING PERVERT, YOU LITTLE SHIT!? I WASN'T EVEN LOOK–!"

A bark of scathing laughter. "SAVE YOUR BREATH! DON'T YOU TRY TO EVEN _THINK _ABOUT TALKING YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS! I _SAW_ YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD I SAW YOU PEEKING AT ME WHEN I WAS GETTING CHANGED–!"

The brunet clamped his mouth shut, restraining himself from lashing back at the other man with snappish retaliation as he would have done without a second thought due to his mulish and competitive nature since birth. What did the other just say…? With huge effort to keep himself composed, he then mused upon the situation as being stated by his neighbour, looking at the entire picture at a whole different angle.

Bloodied lips pursed, frowning in thought.

_Peeping? He saw…?_

Blue eyes lightened with realisation as a sleeve absentmindedly wiped the blood that currently ran down his nose in steady flows.

_Ah._

It clicked. And everything fell into place.

It seems there has been a great misunderstanding and misinterpretations of the whole scenario. Yes, for overall it was merely a simple problem of impulsive brash assumptions which led to such an uninvited session of meaningless bantering.

Gackt almost slapped his forehead at such immature stupidity, _tsk_ing disapprovingly to himself upon his idiocy and vulnerability of letting such scepticism get to him very easily. He scolded himself. It was a show of weakness, one by which could easily land him into unwanted trouble. And that wasn't good.

_How foolish_, he thought as he glanced up at the gap where the broom could still be seen, still waving furiously in the air as the wielder continued to shout with righteous anger. The brunet sighed in reluctant defeat as soon as the other man finally ceased his bellows, the sharp intakes of his breaths could be well heard from beyond the wall. _Hn, someone's seems all pent-up over there, _the young man thought with abstracted amusement despite the grimness of the situation.

Gackt moistened his half-dried bloody lips, blue eyes focusing on the dried spatters of his blood upon the floor whilst grimacing at the metallic taste lingering upon his tongue. He cleared his throat audibly loud enough for the other to hear, "Hey…look…"

The person next door fell silent. An air of anxious expectancy.

The blue-eyed man swallowed and pressed on, treading carefully upon dangerous ground. He had hunch that this neighbour of his was a hot-headed one.

"I didn't, no, I wasn't looking–"

A violent _SMACK!_ of wood against plaster was heard, an indication that the broom had been hit against the wall. A small act that is soon to be quickly followed by…

"LYING ASSHOLE! ARE YOU SAYING THAT I'M _BLIND_!?"

Gackt blinked, startled as he refrained himself from cringing due to the other's startlingly inhuman screech. Goodness, was his neighbour even _human_? He stared on at the wall in bewildered incredulity before narrowing his eyes in seething yet refrained antipathy. _Little bastard…making brash assumptions again…!_

And before he could even utter a word, the obviously ticked and pig-headed neighbour continued such rants, blissfully unaware that he was clearly pulling the wrong wires of a dangerously ticking time bomb.

5…4…

"–GEEZ, I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS ABOUT YOU! NO WONDER YOU'RE SO DARN SILENT THIS WHOLE WEEK, NOT TO MENTION–"

3…2…

"–YOU PEEK AT SOMEONE ELSE, HUH!? GO FIND YOURSELF ANOTHER IDIOT TO LOOK AT AND… AND _SCREW_ HIM WHILE YOU'RE AT IT, YOU…HORNY BASTARD!"

…1.

The bomb exploded. And Gackt practically **screamed** back without even knowing it:

"YOU SONOVABITCH! WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO LOOK AT A _MIDGET _LIKE YOU! YOU'RE NOT EVEN _THAT_ ATTRACTIVE, LET ALONE GOOD ENOUGH TO FUCK! EVEN A BLOODY HORSE IS BETTER LOOKING THAN _YOU_!"

There was a strangled choke from the other side of the wall that obviously pointed out the other's shock but it was quickly retaliated with a screech of absolute infuriation.

"MIDGET!? _**M-M-MIDGET**_!!?? WHY… WHY YOU–FU–!" There was another short pause. It seemed as if his neighbour was far too angry to produce coherent sentences. In the end, what came out was distorted, broken words strung together in an idle threat: "I'M GOING TO SMACK THAT SHITTY BRAIN OF YOURS RIGHT OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN HEAD!"

"GO AHEAD! I DOUBT YOU CAN EVEN _REACH_!"

Outside (away from chaotic ruckus and raucous outbursts from both men, the angry smacks of brooms against walls as well as the upset wails and cantankerous complaints from rudely awakened tenants upon the ground floor of the accommodation), the cyclist finally straightened up from his crouch and beamed with accomplishment, wiping away the water droplets clinging to his tired face. He then grinned broadly at his bike before mounting it, sparing a small glance at the dimly lit window (where a tall brunet could be seen shouting at the wall rather irately) before turning the pedals with his feet and cycling off with absolute ease.

Alas, the wheel starts to spin.

And that was how it all started.

**

* * *

A/N:** And there we have it. The first chapter where our beloved Gackt and Hyde first set their eyes on each other. Well, sort of. That is, if you count in looking at fingers and tattooed backs instead of their pretty faces. XD 

Looking forward to a second chapter? Then do drop in a little **review**! **Reviews** are yummy, by the way – sweet, delectable and edible things! Why, they are the perfect instant energy booster for many sleep-deprived, finger-abused and frazzled authors/authoresses like myself out there. Yes, such things do make us sorry little things feel loved and happy, even for a short while.


	2. A Match Made in Heaven

**A/N:** After reading such enlightening and positive reviews, these little fingers of mine could not help but gear up and start their little exercise yet once again! Thanks to **Fanren**, **book-manga-freak**, **Mak41**, the ever loved **mrsFOON**, **Mask of Mirage**, **foxycat13**, **Aiko** and **silver Neko**.

I apologise for the extremely LONG delay. I've been extremely busy at college and this year is my A2 course so it is most likely that updates will be _extremely_ sluggish as 96 percent of my time would be spent on dating with delightfully thick textbooks. That aside, I thank you all for such lovely reviews! How I adore you all. XD

A little note though. This chapter contains a casino scene. Just so you know, I hold limited/no experience or knowledge whatsoever regarding gambling – never tried and I'm not particular keen on doing so. So if what I write is incorrect, do pardon such mistakes.

**Warnings:** Usual profanity, gorgeous beautiful men, shonen-ai in the works…and the disastrous aftermath of that infamous goddamn wall (partition, whatever…).

**Pairings:** Exclusively GacktxHyde…although slight GacktxYou as a side dish is delectable enough to devour as well.

**Disclaimer:** This story is **purely fiction** and is therefore **not intended to be taken as fact**. All publicly recognisable people in this story have been used for the work of fiction and **the authoress DOES NOT have the intention to imply that these events have happened, will happen or should happen.** The authoress has no absolute association with the renowned people and makes no claim of any sort on their persons.

* * *

**F r** o m** L** o **n** g **D** i **s t** **a **n **c **e

– **a **G**ac**kt**x**H**yd**e sto**ry** –

**C**ha**pt**er T**w**o: **A** M**atc**h Ma**de** **i**n H**eave**n

By **s**** u I k a's** **w I n d** o _f_ t h e **c e l e s t I a l**

* * *

"Hold still."

Upon that, Gackt paused the ascent of his tea cup and glanced over at his close friend beside him, blue eyes regarding the other when the blond suddenly reached over and deftly slapped a clean antiseptic plaster onto the healing gash upon the bridge of his nose. Startled by sudden lunge, the brunet flinched at the touch of the band-aid, wincing visibly at the sharp jolt that came with it. A slight jerk of his body, though, caused the careless slosh of tea over the brim of porcelain cup he held, splashing a bit of its liquid content onto the surface of the small table as well as his fingers. "Ah – _shit!_" he hissed, withdrawing from the taller man's reaching fingers sharply and glaring at him heatedly, ignoring the angry red welt that was slowly forming upon his otherwise pale fingers. "Bastard, that hurts!"

You raised an eyebrow slightly before bringing his mug of coffee up to his lips and sipping it with notable delicacy. "Sorry."

Gackt pursed his lips into a taut line and frowned stiffly. "You don't sound sincere."

A smile.

"Why, of course not. Who would be, upon finding some bloody kid standing on my doorstep with a bleeding nose at fucking _three_ in the morning? Really Gacchan, you never fail to amuse me," the blond man said with scathing dryness, though that fond upturn of lips said otherwise, "Now tell me, why on earth are you parading about the streets at this ungodly hour with a cut on your nose? Did you stumble down the stairs again? Look, I know how you tend to rush to work every now and then, especially with you juggling your jobs and all, but you've got to take precautions, you know?" You reached over and touched the plaster gingerly, ignoring the angry hiss that came with it. "I'm surprised that your nose isn't broken. What, you got into a fight again?"

Ooh, spot on.

My, how ironic it was for the blond to unsuspectingly mention the matter oh so effortlessly and yet so dead right.

An angry frown surfaced as the brunet snatched a handful of tissues from the box upon the table and began to clean the mess with deliberate harshness, an act to vent out some of frustration when his mind wandered back to the heated banter that had occurred mere hours ago. "Tch. Something like that."

Despite the brusque bitter tone that had been used by the young man, You offered a rueful smile. Why, it wasn't as if seeing Gackt being covered in ugly bruises and cuts was a rare thing. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Since high school, the brunet's nature of being very competitive and quite the 'anti-social brooder' (as many had labelled him then) had quite too often led him into a lot of trouble – most of which were uninvited, let alone wanted. Coupled with the fact that he was quite a beautiful youth, many foolishly challenged and provoked him into countless physical fights – all by which he had won unsurprisingly. Although the blond was glad that the younger man was able to fend for himself with ease (in fighting as well as building up his life), You was unable to prevent himself from being concerned about the other's welfare. The brunet, after all, was notoriously known for being extremely reckless with his safety. Why, there were many incidents by which the young man had daringly stared Death in the eye and got away with it. He was a lucky devil, alright. And You (always the one to clean and dress up the wounds of the brunet) was downright worried if that luck was soon going to run out. Gackt, after all, was still just a human being.

A derisive sound was made as the younger man set the stained napkins aside. "Anyways, you wouldn't believe it if I told you," he murmured offhandedly as he lifted the cup up to his lips once more and slowly sipped it.

Another sip of coffee. "Yes I would."

"You wouldn't."

"What? You got punched in the nose because you were wrongly accused at work of cheating with the cards again? Or did someone _accidentally _slammed the door on your face, like that time in 7-Eleven?"

There was a slight tightening of a jaw. "Really You, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you whilst swearing my sincerity to every single deity on this goddamn planet." Gackt drained his cup.

A quirk of an eyebrow. "Shoot me."

A slight pause.

There was a clinking of porcelain as an empty cup was carefully placed back onto its matching saucer.

And a pair of deep blue eyes peered through lowered lashes at half-lidded brown orbs which watched with attentive expectancy.

A small bitter smirk touched full, sensual lips.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I got hit in the face by a fucking broom?"

A small choke and the lowering of a porcelain mug. "W-What?"

It was a small slip of composure, but it was more than enough to trigger a small bark of laughter upon the brunet's part as soon as he saw unadulterated disbelief slowly etching upon his dearest friend's face. Smirking, Gackt then reached over and began to absentmindedly wipe away the few droplets of coffee clinging upon the bottom lip of the startled blond with his thumb. "Hn. Thought so. But I'm serious, You. I really did got hit with a broom – by a goddamn fucking _midget_."

* * *

A violent sneeze.

And a spark of determination ignited within dark brown eyes in newfound vigour as a grip tightened around the telephone receiver.

A brusque sniffle.

"I'm telling the truth! And – no, I'm not sick – that's what happened!"

The frown soon faltered and disappeared, all to make way for a fervent nod. "I'm _telling_ you Mama, this neighbour of mine is a horny _freak_. And what's more? He's interested with the anatomy of **men**. Yes, _men_! Can you _believe_ it? He– what?"

A pause to listen, all soon before a haughty lop-sided smirk danced its way up to pliant lips, triggering a glint of callous glee within dark eyes. "Yeah, you _bet_ I did. I took care of him, really, _really_ took good care of him. I'll have to thank you for lending me your broom, Ma, think I understand why Dad hates it so much and– Ha? What was that? Ah! A job? You're asking about my job?"

A sheepish laugh, a slight cringe.

Behold the symptoms of guilt which will undoubtedly lead to…

"Yeah, yeah and about that… I…uh, I'm still searching. Yeah, still looking for it, alright! You– yeah, really I am! Really, really! Honestly! You see, I _did_ apply for a job at this other place last time but I didn't get any response for it so-so I'm looking for another one and… yeah, yeah, that's what's happened."

_Liar, Liar. Pants on fire._

Oh yes. Aside from his terribly apathetic nature of not doing anything _productive _from time to time, Hyde was also one sneaky little fibber. Well, that is, if the situation was of his parents inquiring about his progress in the big city. Why, it was most obvious that the young man clearly had no intention of dragging that sorry little ass of his out of his little alcove and into the real world. Really, the dark-haired male thought it seemed unnecessary for he had direct access to the family's rather large savings. Why do work when money was steadily piling up in his family bank account and just begging to be used? So yes, he certainly thought getting a job was downright unnecessary at that moment despite his parents' preaching.

Tch, the goddamn lazy spoilt _brat_.

Hyde got off his bed and walked over to his desk, pushing the piles of paper to the side. A few crumples of paper dropped off the table and joined a small heap that had gradually grown over the past week. The dark-haired man plopped himself into the worn chair and leant back, gazing at the ceiling. A small, fond smile had touched those plaint lips as he contently listened to the melodic quality of his mother's soothing voice softly flowing into his ear.

A blink as a query was asked.

"Curry…? How's the curry rice here?" he repeated, puzzled and frowned in thought. "Well, it's…"

In an instant, Hyde suddenly felt a fire of indignation flare up within his chest as he recalled back to the incidents of the night before. How his curry rice had miraculously disappeared, how he had almost went out of his room to actually _do _something… and how he had finally became _acquainted _with that horny voyeur-bastard next door.

Dark eyes flitted towards the insubstantial partition beside his haphazardly cluttered bed, up towards the miraculous gap above it.

…_a small glimpse of a stunning copper sheen of brown hair and the swish of a long dark coat._

_A faint scent of cool musk was left in its wake._

A tightening of grip around the slim body of the telephone.

A narrowing of eyes.

…_a gradual, cautious emergence of deep blue eyes…_

A gritting of teeth. An act of utmost dislike.

"…Absolutely **disgusting**."

* * *

The knitting of refined brows was accentuated with the downturn of displeased full lips. "You, really…"

The blond flashed a friendly smile. "Hey, it's no problem. It saves time and energy, no?"

"I don't want to trouble you," Gackt stated firmly, gripping his car keys tightly whilst resisting the huge urge to rub the bothersome plaster upon the curvature of his slender nose, "Today's Saturday, so it's most likely that I would finish work very late. I've already troubled you enough with crashing at your place and my lethargy at the studio this morning."

"Lethargy?" You sniggered with amusement as he acknowledged the brunet idly reaching into his coat and drawing out a packet of cigarettes. "It was more like tetchiness, if you ask me. I should apologise for that, actually."

Gackt raised an eyebrow questioningly, extracting a stick and lighting it. "Why?"

"Woke you up."

"Ah." A glint of understanding within blue eyes, closely followed with the exhalation of tobacco smoke.

It was apparently well known for a fact that dearest Gackt was one heck of grouch if he happened to be woken up by someone other than himself. True, true. If You could remember correctly, he had learned this fact the hard way. And it was indeed an unpleasant experience, back during their high school days. Upon one occasion where Gackt had fallen asleep on the floor of his room one time (apparently, the brunet had become intrigued with a senior playing the drums and thus was driven with competitiveness to master the instrument until he had overexert himself with lack of sleep and food) and poor innocent You was in for a wonderful treat when he reached over and gently shook the younger boy awake, unexpectedly dropping himself into his ill-fated doom. Overwhelmed with unbelievable crankiness upon being woken up "at such an ungodly hour", Gackt had practically **hurled** the older boy's _boom box_ – it was apparently the nearest thing in reach, You realised later – squarely into the blond's face (You was sure he still had a scar from that incident) and downright refused to speak for the rest of evening, only shooting deathly glares and snarling in a beastly manner at practically _anyone_ who was in range with him. Or anything that moved for that matter.

Pushing aside the unpleasant memory, You watched as the grey wisps of smoke lazily drifted up into the cold autumn air, his gentle brown eyes following the idle swirls fashioned and dispersed by the slight breeze. A frown touched his lips and a slight narrowing of eyes occurred.

Adding to that, it was also a well known fact that the brunet harboured a bad habit of smoking. You had still yet wondered and pondered upon who and what influenced him to do so during their high school days. To be honest, the blond didn't quite approve this unhealthy deed, despite the fact that he himself has his small share of cancer sticks. Telling the brunet so, however, would only prove to be quite a waste of breath for it was also a well known fact that his beloved Gackt bore the hard-boiled stubbornness of a rebellious donkey.

You came over and leaned against the door of the brunet's car, his side gently pressed against the younger man's side. A small torrent of warmth passed between the two bodies.

Quietly chuckling, the blond then raised a hand to other's hair. The fond ruffling onto soft russet tresses was accompanied with an affectionate smile. "Chill out. Don't let it get to you, eh?"

A nonchalant grunt was all he received from the brunet's behalf, although You could have sworn he saw the ghost of a smile flit across the younger man's full lips.

Though he wouldn't admit it aloud, but Gackt was indeed extremely grateful for the presence of the amiable blond beside him at that moment then. It was a funny thought, really. Upon musing about it, the brunet had then realised that You could easily see whether he was in trouble or not, despite the impassive mask that he carefully crafted and put on as his façade. It was like the blond had a woman's intuition, and the charm of one, perhaps (seeing upon how the blond was able to easily breach through his emotional defences). Hell, if it weren't for the fact that You had a dick and a height that extremely surpasses the average women's, he would have looked at the blond as an older sister. Or a mother.

Deep blue eyes flicked over and carefully regarded the other as full lips encircled around the end of a smouldered cigarette.

The end of the stick emitted an amber glow.

And the affectionate smile merely intensified.

Exhaling another puff of smoke, Gackt lowered the half-smoked cigarette before he leant over and pressed his full lips against the blond's smiling ones.

The faint sounds of cars rumbling down the main road could be heard and the fleeting echoes of chattering and laughter from Gackt's dwelling reached the young ears of both youths. The cigarette twitched a little, balancing between long nimble fingers. Speckles of amber-grey ash fell away and disbanded into the air, each miniscule fleck plummeting down to the asphalt pavement in one swift motion.

Black loafers added more pressure upon the ground as the younger of the two moved a little closer.

_Thank you._

After a brief pause, a strong hand soon reached up and grasped an arm, holding it quietly, promisingly.

Assurance.

_It's okay._

"Sure you don't want a ride?" You asked soon after the younger man pulled away and dropped his cigarette, squashing it with the sole of his shoe. "I'm on the way to Rhoji's anyway."

Unsurprisingly, Gackt refused the offer. "It's alright. I have to meet with someone first."

"Ah, is that so?" A knowing little smirk was playfully delivered. "Well, drive safely, yeah? And slow down, will you? I don't want you crashing your car again."

"Hn," the brunet uttered negligently and climbed into his car, inserting the key into the ignition without another thought.

Rhoji's. Gackt frowned in thought as he started up the car, glancing at the rear view mirror to see his dearest friend climb into his own car and send him a mock salute as a parting gift before driving off. The young man's refined brows furrowed sharply in conjunction to the dubious purse of his lips. Since when did the blond start eating…?

Gackt blinked.

…_a pair of jet-black wings…_

_Angels' wings, to be precise._

Almost instantaneously, those deep blue eyes narrowed dangerously as an all-too-very-familiar voice literally hollered in the back of his mind in all of its reverberating richness.

"_I'M STARVING! ARGH, GOD DAMMIT! I WANT MY CURRY RICE!"_

The gash on his nose throbbed unpleasantly.

Long nimble fingers tightly gripped the wheel.

And an angry little scowl touched those full pink lips.

"Fucking little _shit_."

* * *

"Ah…Ah_-choo!_"

A slight stagger of feet and the dark-haired youth had just managed to catch himself, regaining balance upon the soles of his nimble feet as cool hands unexpectedly aid to steady him. A sniffle was made in conjunction to the involuntary twitch of a slender nose.

Good gracious. That was absolutely uncalled for.

Hyde resisted the huge urge to pull a face of utter incredulity, sweeping away the obscuring dark long bangs away from his frowning yet slowly reddening face with deft fingers.

How unpleasant it was indeed.

"Ah, is that my _Hachan_?"

A bewildered look had fleetingly crossed the young man's face and Hyde quickly pulled away from those frail hands. Dark eyes widened with disbelief as he stared into the amiable face of the elderly landlady.

A gentle upturn of aged lips.

A twitch of a tautened jaw.

_Oh God. __**No.**__ Not today. Please God, save me. Not now. Anything but to-!_

"_My_, Hachan! Well, well. I haven't seen you in ages! Good heavens, dearest me! It's been a long time since we have settled down for a lovely chat. Come, come child! Come in and have some tea, it's just been freshly brewed," the woman beckoned to him, grasping his hand in order to usher him into her humble little abode.

_Damn._

Hyde gave her a weak smile, feet shuffling back in the slightest of steps in hopes of making a jolt for it. "Oh no, it's alright, I was just passing by and I –"

"Nonsense!" she interjected boisterously as she tugged the man's hand with insistence and drew him into the cosy vicinity, sliding the door shut behind her firmly. "Come, come! Why, we have plenty to catch up with! Now, tell me, how is your dear mother doing?"

"Mama? Oh, she's fine," Despite how displeased he was with the situation he had unwittingly fallen into, a small fond smile had unconsciously surfaced – a subtle upturn of usually frowning lips, "She's very well, if you–ah…ah-_choo_!"

Another brusque sniffle and the swift sweep of fingers across slender nostrils, cleaning up any – if any – unpleasant mess. Another little twitch of a slender nose.

Dammit.

Involuntarily pursing his lips, Hyde began to wonder if he was developing some sort of allergy (seeing that he seemed to be sneezing at many odd moments for no apparent cause, as he observed). How uncanny it was.

"Sorry Kyokosan," he murmured with discomfit upon noticing the elderly woman looking on to him with a surprised look. "That was…uncalled for. So sorry."

A small look of concern was etched upon those kindly features as those withered fingers reached out and touched the youth's arm gently. Her touch that of maternal warmth. "Oh my! Heavens dear, are you alright? Are you sick? You poor, poor girl. Oh, we must find you some medicine before that terrible cold gets worse! Goodness me, even your voice has become deeper! Do you have a sore throat? Oh, poor girl, you're starting to sound like a boy!"

_Oh hell no._

The young man bristled, peeved as sinewy shoulders stiffened and cheeks were puffed out in incredulity.

_Not __**again**__._

Pursing his lips with utter discontentment, Hyde soon parted them in order to notify the elderly woman that she had, indeed, made a terrible, _terrible_ mistake. "Kyokosan, I'm not a–!"

A feeble hand was raised in interjection. "Now, now Hachan. You mustn't be stubborn! Why, how would your mother feel if she knows that her precious daughter is, as of this moment, coughing and sneezing away to her very death? Heavens, the dear woman would be devastated! Oh, you poor child, I suppose you've come down here in search for medicine, no?"

Good gracious.

_She did it. __**Again.**_

Pride wounded, Hyde could not help but feel the nudging urge to simply slam the door open and storm out of the room with grumbles of incoherent vulgarism under his breath. That would be delightful. But a twitch of a sharp eyebrow was only all he had managed to muster then as the young man delicately thread his composure together. "No I didn't, Kyokosan. And I'm not a gi–" was all he managed to grit out before–

A _tsk_. "I accept no objections and – dear me, Hachan. Is it just me or is your hair getting a bit longer? Are you sure you can see with your hair in the way? I can barely see your face."

In a moment, all thoughts of telling the woman off for her definite mistake had dispersed to naught and dearly beloved _Hachan _was left blinking perplexedly upon her recent inquiry.

"My hair…?" Hyde absentmindedly touched a strand of his dark bangs.

"Yes dearest, it's getting a bit long. Now, I know that long fringes are one of the trends among you youngsters nowadays but _I_ certainly see it unnecessary for you to cover that pretty face of yours. Really!" A spirited smile had stretched across Kyoko's lips as she bid the young man to sit down beside her at a low table, folding her legs neatly beneath her as she settled down to pour two cups of freshly brewed tea for the both of them. However, upon the moment when Hyde settled down opposite her and naturally crossed his legs, a fleeting frown had touched her lips and she suddenly eyed him acutely. Very closely – a scrutinising appraisal in fact, all before she finally added in a soft tone that concealed her astonishment, "Heavens child, you're quite a late bloomer, aren't you?"

_Ha?_

The young man blinked, at a loss.

Kyoko frowned a little in thought, eyes strangely fixed upon the youth's chest before they eventually lit up with understanding and sympathy. "Ah, I see. No wonder you don't leave your room and go out to looking for a boyfriend. Oh you poor unfortunate girl, I'm sure they'll grow soon."

_GROW?_

Hyde choked.

Dark eyes widened drastically in the matter of mere seconds. The deliciously warm teacup that was carefully cradled within the supple palms of his hands had almost dropped.

_What_. _The_. _Hell_.

Now _that_ was **absolutely** uncalled for.

The young man could not help but sputter with disbelief, a splash of scarlet slowly crept up his neck and cheeks in response to this newly acquired (and certainly unnecessary) piece of information. "K-K-Kyokosan! That–that–!" Thoughts of constructing proper sentences was abruptly dismissed as the scandalised youth clamped his mouth shut and trust himself to speak no more. Good gracious. He could not believe what he was hearing.

Hyde felt the tips of his ear burn in discomfiture as he fidgeted on the spot with uneasiness.

Pray tell, was this really how women naturally converse with one another on a daily basis? It was unbelievable!

Sipping her tea daintily, the elderly woman smiled at the youth genteelly. "Oh come, come. There's no need to be ashamed, dear! Why, just give it about a few months time, I'm sure they'll grow beautifully. And – oh goodness! I'm straying away, aren't I? Good heavens, dear me! Oh do forgive me, Hachan. Old women like me tend to think back to our youth when we see growing young ladies like you. Why, I was once quite the late bloomer, see? But I was quite a beauty, I assure you! Why, you and I are very much alike, Hachan!" She laughed, a gentle youthful one whilst Hyde, on the other hand, was utterly chagrined upon being wrongfully accredited yet once again. Blissfully oblivious to the youth's displeasure (ignorance more likely, Hyde had thought darkly), Kyoko merely carried on. "Let's put that aside, shall we? Now, what medicine were you looking for, child?"

Hyde pursed his lips into a taut line, the corner of his mouth twitched with utmost displeasure. "I'm not sick, Kyokosan. There's no need for you to worry. I think I must have inhaled some dust on my way here, that's all."

"Dust?"

"Yeah. I suppose it's probably because my…" A twitch of tensed fingers occurred before those deft digits stringently clenched the small rough folds of dark jeans, "…_neighbour_ hasn't cleaned his room lately." Like a distasteful bittersweet candy rolling on his tongue, the dark-haired youth fought the sweet urge to retch in revulsion upon recalling the obnoxious jerk who resided in the dark room beside his.

A gritting of teeth.

A tightening clench.

_Stupid perverted _freak_._

"Ah yes, that young lad," the landlady smiled distantly and touched the side of her ageing face, a mist of admiration clouding her eyes as she sighed, "Oh, such a lovely man, he is. Very polite and indisputably beautiful, indeed! Why, he's a walking god with the beauty that could definitely rival Narcissus, I tell you! Heavens, I'm jealous that _you_ get to live right next to him, Hachan! Perhaps I should move him to Mr. Hiraishi's room after all!" The woman giggled girlishly.

A bitter smirk, a minute quirk of quick eyebrows.

_Go ahead. Take him if you want, the bastard's all yours._

Before lips could part to speak, Hyde was startled when the older woman had suddenly leant towards him and squinted with intense scrutiny, a mischievous smile dancing upon her aged lips. "So, what do _you_ think about him, _eh_? You've lived next to him for about a week or so…anything _juicy_?"

Hyde could have sworn his jaw had just dislodged itself and fell crashing onto the hard wooden floor. "J…Juicy?"

"Yes, yes, come now, girl. Speak, speak! Now I'm sure you've come to good old Kyoko to share some. I heard that you and him have start to hit it off (oh, young love!) last night, so as the other patrons say – they complained that you two were pretty raucous, but _they_ don't understand the _true_ meaning of young love well as you and I do. Now, tell me, how was _he_?"

Now the woman was literally nose-to-nose with the poor disturbed youth, her beady eyes keenly attempting to gouge out any scrap of 'juice' regarding the impudent prick. Hyde backed away a little, deeply disturbed. "Well…he's…"

_An absolutely sick _horny_ prick! One that should damn well be put under lock and key for all eternity! He definitely should not be left prowling about the streets, for all we know he could be somewhere seeking out innocent young boys at this moment! The shameless, disgusting–!_

"…He's…nice."

_**Goddammit**__._

Kyoko looked deflated, disappointed at this painfully scarce piece of information. "Oh. That's it?"

"And…"

"_And?_" she pressed on eagerly, fingers clutching her teacup with uncontained earnestness.

"He's…uh, tall."

Despite her dissatisfaction of not being able to gouge out the latest 'scoop' upon her beloved Hachan and the beautiful man who lived upstairs, the elderly woman gently smiled nonetheless and touched the youth's arm with an air of compassion – if that was it. "Ah, so it's still in the works, eh? Well, I'm sure sparks will fly in time. Why, with a pretty girl like you, I'm sure he's bound to like you."

A wry smile was flourished, though inwardly the dark-haired man seethed with absolute lividness.

_You have no idea just how _wrong _you are. The jerk just doesn't want to _like_ me. He wants to _**screw**_ me._

A slight gritting of teeth.

_Dirty bastard._

"Yes, yes, a pretty girl like you would be able to entice him, no doubt about that."

A bristle of outrage.

Sweet heavens above…

There was a disgruntled downturn of lips, a sharp accentuated tug of plaint lips as a scowl had hastily etched itself upon the young man's darkening face.

The dark-haired youth scowled darkly with distaste as the elderly woman smiled at him with an air of pleasant correctness. Her dainty aged fingers graced the clay teapot, cradling and manoeuvring it with acute delicacy.

Really.

There were times when Hyde actually wondered if he really _did_ look like a girl.

"Oh, speaking of which, Hachan. Correct me if I'm wrong but I've noticed that you haven't been eating your curry rice for today _and_ yesterday. Now Hachan, I understand that you want to look your best, as all girls do, but simply starving yourself will not do you any good. You're already skinny enough as it is. Why, people could even mistake you for a _boy_ if this goes on! A word of wisdom, child, that it would be much better if you top up that lanky frame with a few curves here and there. Men love curves, see?" Kyoko stated as she filled their cups up to the brim with more steaming tea.

A twitch of an eye.

Or there were times when it was plainly obvious that the poor woman was simply downright **deranged**.

Hyde's scowl deepened, the knitting of his dark eyebrows was ever more pronounced with the sharp downturn of pliant lips.

There was nothing else in this world that could describe the growing dislike he directed towards the landlady at that moment then.

Keeping his tensed fingers to himself, he spoke through gritted teeth. "If you must know, I'm not starving myself Kyokosan – seeing that I am _not_ a gir–" Kyoko had spontaneously (purposely, to Hyde's eyes) coughed at this moment, seemingly not hearing the youth's confrontation and thus making him grit his teeth even more in irritation, "– it's just that the curry rice down the street isn't that tasty anymore, so–"

"Ah, in search for another place, eh?" Kyoko said and frowned a little in thought. "Well I overheard from Eboshisan – come now, you know her. The one who prefers younger men? The one who is currently seeing a high school freshman, ten years her junior? Yes, the gorgeous one, that's her – apparently she says that there's one place downtown called **Rhoji's** – or was it _**Ryoji's**_? – she said that the curry rice is excellent, along with it's handful of good-looking waiters! Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, I think she's also dating one of…" On and on the woman went, spewing out what seemed to be the latest 'juice' that dwelled within the ever peaceful lodging.

Not that Hyde paid any actual attention to such 'goss' that crept and skulk about the place. As if he ever give a damn about the latest scoop. He wasn't a girl, after all (no matter what the poor woman thought or wrongly assumed).

A knitting of eyebrows and a pursing of pliant lips, Hyde frowned and found himself pondering in deep thought. His hands embraced the warm cup, dark eyes absent-mindedly watching the wispy swirls of stream as they lazily dispersed in the air as he abstractedly listened to the elder woman ramble on and on…

There was a pensive moistening of lips.

And a small resolute glint behind dark eyes.

Alas, the birth of a startling revelation.

* * *

"Yeah, just there…"

A teasing upturn of sensual lips. "Here?"

"Oh…yeah, there. Bit to the left…down…the – _oh_…"

Gackt watched the other, a flicker of amusement resided behind deep blue eyes as long deft fingers skilfully danced across smooth white material in minute circular motions. "Better?"

A sated smile could be seen aside obscuring long bangs of ebony hair. "_Much_ better."

Pale fingers reaching up to sift through the curtain of black silkiness, Gackt leaned forward and pressed the tip of his nose affectionately against the other's temple, gently inhaling the light floral fragrance. "You know," he breathed in a hushed tone, smirking with satiation as the older woman shuddered involuntarily, "I often wonder how it would feel to have your hair brush against my skin again…I suppose it would be very _stimulating_, wouldn't it? Just like that night…"

"Oh yes…" the woman whispered, arching her neck slightly to expose the expanse of creamy skin. Her fingers reached up and touched the side of the young man's beautiful face. She tilted her head towards him, parted lips seeking his, "Gackt…"

A subtle brush of lips against ebony strands. "I have to go."

A surprised blink and the woman found her fingers hanging in mid-air, the warm lean body that had leant against her now gone. She turned and found her younger lover leaning back against the cushioned seat, glancing up into the overhead mirror and smoothening down the russet strands across his deep blue eyes. Disappointed by the offhanded nature of the young male, she wrapped her arms around her slender frame as her lips were pursed into a small pout, "Surely you can stay for a few minutes more? You know, come in and have a cup of coffee or something."

_Of all things. Coffee._

Gackt looked over and gave her a small rueful smile, albeit the slight grimace that had touched his lips briefly. "Sorry but I have to go work. My boss would kill me if I arrive late. So sorry."

"Will we see each other again?"

It was an unfortunate spark of hope.

The brunet shifted his eyes away.

An offhanded shrug was made as pale strong hands gripped the steering wheel. A tentative moistening of full pink lips. "Who knows."

There was a stubborn glossy pout, one that shimmered within the dim interior of the car as delicate fingers effortlessly opened the door. "Well, just so you know – if you're feeling bored or anything, you can just drop by here. You're always welcome."

"We'll see," the young man nodded curtly. He looked at her carefully with calculating blue eyes as she slipped a slender leg out of the vehicle. A disappointed clack of a stiletto heel resounded against cold, dry pavement.

A small sigh.

Grasping her hand before she could pull herself out of the droning vehicle, Gackt gently tugged the woman close towards him and brushed his lips against hers.

A simple kiss. A sign of assurance. A gesture of mild affection.

Nothing more.

"I'll be off then."

"Take care."

Indeed he was off. With a black leather loafer ardently pressed upon the gas pedal whilst strong hands grasped the steering wheel in a painstakingly tight clutch. Coming around a tight corner of the street, Gackt merely pressed on, progressively accentuating the speed of his car. Clearly, the young man had breached the safe speed limit of the area, driving the vehicle at a whopping 100-120 miles per hour. Which was, allegedly, his **normal** speed.

Good gracious.

May you be blessed, you foolhardy daredevil.

A small smirk tugged upon his lips as he forcefully steered the protesting vehicle to the side, narrowly missing another vehicle whose enraged passengers threw a handful of coarse words and gestures his way.

Why, _compliments_ for such proficient skill. How flattering, indeed.

Gackt chuckled with amusement and simply reclined back against his seat, practised hands deftly manoeuvred the car from lane to lane as a skilled windsurfer would smoothly tack through a calm sea.

Well now, if meeting and dating new people every now and then was not that much of the thrill of his life, then this undoubtedly and definitely _was_.

A quick glance was directed towards the black strap watch that was bound to a strong pale wrist.

Two minutes left till opening time.

More pressure was simply added upon the gas pedal – the vehicle roared to life.

A simple widening of a delighted smirk. "No problem."

* * *

"Here's your stop."

An uneasy look was hastily replaced with a small smile. "Thanks."

Dropping the few bills into the taxi driver's large hand, Hyde then slowly climbed out of the large vehicle and soon found himself rooted to the spot in the middle of a foreign land. Blinking owlishly at the bright lights that glared down at him from the overhead streetlamps and neon labels and signs, the dark haired man stared at his surroundings in a sense of distress and aimlessness.

The young man blinked once. Twice. Make that three times.

Hyde awkwardly stood his ground as hordes of active young adults inattentively brushed past his rigid form, barely acknowledging the lone figure that stood in their path, poised in a dazed slouch. In the swarm of colours, it would be quite an understatement to say that the young man blended right in with the night-life scenery of downtown. In actuality, the poor man very much stuck out like a sore thumb. Like a black spot in the middle of a colourful kaleidoscopic mess. Yes, he definitely felt very much like the outcast as the metaphorical black spot he had portrayed himself as.

There was an uneasy shuffle of worn sneakers against grey pavement.

And the clumsy tangle of long fingers within folds of olive material – fumbling. A blatant act of utter discomfort.

Hyde swallowed, though it deemed to be a futile attempt to moisten his suddenly parched throat as his dark eyes hesitantly glanced up at the neon sign of the building before him.

_**Ryoji's.**_

Pursing his lips in determination, he curled his fingers around the hem of his t-shirt a tad bit tighter instinctively.

"_Right_."

A defiant look was forcefully etched upon the young man's face as he determinedly pried his fingers from the comforts of his shirt and clenched them into a fist of dynamism.

"Curry rice, here I come!"

Brushing aside his feelings of uneasiness and anxieties towards the unfavourable situation he had placed upon himself, Hyde zealously marched forward with newfound vigour towards the vicinity where his dearly beloved curry rice basked, awaiting to be salvaged by the fatalistic Curry Rice fanatic himself.

Or so he believed.

Why, if only the youth would stop and _look_ for once. If he did, he would have spotted the bright neon sign of _**Rhoji's**_just down the block. He would have stopped to inhale the delicious, distinguishable aroma of curry spices, bask in the sight of luxurious warm silks and waitresses wrapped in colourful saris daintily carrying trays of piquant curry rice to tables tucked with Curry Rice fanatics like himself.

But he didn't.

* * *

A minute smirk touched sensual lips.

A discreet gleeful glint soon resided behind half-lidded blue eyes as dexterous long fingers gracefully laid down the designated cards that had been benevolently blessed with luck.

"_Full House_. Dealer wins."

Embittered grumbles of defeat and the widening of impressed eyes was the response Gackt received as his clients bitterly threw down their cards and grudgingly surrendered their money.

"Hmm. _Bravo,_ Mr. Dealer. Such impressive skill and luck you hold. Why, it's no wonder you are one of the _Top Dealer_s of Ryoji's," an elegant woman drawled with a sensual smirk, her arm curled seductively around the tense arm of her male counterpart who heavily smoked his cigarette in rigid tautness. "And so young as well. How old are you, twenty-one? Twenty-two?"

A charming smile was delivered. "Why, thank you Ma'am. I'm very much flattered by such praise. I'm nineteen, actually."

A look of surprise as glossy red lips pursed with astonishment. "Nineteen? Amazing…and I heard that you have just started work a week ago, is it?"

"Yes, thank you for acknowledging me," Gackt nodded, his fingers instinctively collected all the cards that had been laid upon the table in one elegant sweep of a pale hand. Gathering them in his grasp, those long fingers worked their magic, deftly shifting and shuffling through the pile of cards in proficient speed that once again impressed the clients that had gathered around his table to play and watch the adept skill the young man possessed.

Whilst the players placed their bets and Gackt deal out their hands, those deep blue eyes absentmindedly looked up and speculated the atmosphere of the casino. As promised on Saturday nights, Ryoji's was unsurprisingly packed with many clients, young and old, who were shuffling their way through each table in hopes of striking it lucky that night. The brunet looked over at his co-workers, watching them as they laughed and entertained their clients at their tables with their own card skills.

There was a laissez-faire feeling lingering within the air, dotted with resounding laughter and cheers, playful rowdiness and the swirls of cigarette smoke.

Contented with the fact that less violence was going to erupt that night (it was usually _his_ table which caused the most problems – a particular one noted was a violent outburst which had resulted to a good punch to his nose when the ass of a client had accused him of cheating), the young man allowed his gaze to lazily survey across the multitude of bodies bustling here and there when those deep blue eyes fortuitously fell upon the lithe figure of a young man with long dark hair tied into a loose ponytail which trailed down his back. The loose strands of ebony that had escaped framed the sides of highly refined cheekbones, swaying slightly with every motion made. Behind obscuring bangs of black, a pair of piercing dark eyes idly surveyed the area with disinterest.

The card dealer blinked, a mild look of interest had fleetingly crossed his cool and collected features.

A sudden, unpleasant twitch had acted beneath the plaster that was draped across the bridge of his nose.

Ignoring the unpleasant throb, Gackt absentmindedly swept up his cards and held it close to him albeit his eyes which were still trained upon the individual with involuntary earnestness.

A pique of interest had surfaced.

_Who is he?_

* * *

He cursed.

Silently. To all the goddamn deities up there who were selfishly too ignorant so as to help a poor, disoriented man who had assertively and initiatively made the effort to search for a new source of his very well craved curry rice. No, instead of flaunting their supposed goodness to those in need (like himself), they had decided to sit back and enjoy the show.

Hyde scowled.

_Dammit._

Just where exactly was that goddamn curry rice shop?

Surveying his surroundings, Hyde was distraught to find his surroundings invigorated with more carefree laughter, swarms of bodies hustling and bustling here and there, and the distinct reeks of tobacco smoke.

A waiter passed him, elegantly tipping over his tray a little to present the tall, gleaming glasses that were splashed and filled with sparkling pale-yellow liquid. Upon noticing this, Hyde absentmindedly reached over and took one, cradling the glass with nimble long fingers. He lifted it to his lips and took an almost-delicate sip.

More laughter.

Occasional cheers.

Frequent exhalations of inhaled cigarettes.

And Hyde sputtered, droplets of cheap champagne dribbling down his chin. "What…_what_ the…?"

Heaven forbid.

A gritting of teeth had occurred as the youth resisted the urge to pour his drink onto the nearest waiter's head. Miffed and disoriented he was, Hyde gripped his glass tightly as he refrained himself from retching at the unpleasant taste of bubbly tang that swam within his mouth.

_Shit._

Just where the_ hell_ is he?

* * *

It had been fifteen minutes.

Fifteen minutes of card play. Fifteen minutes of playful banter and light hearted cheers. Fifteen minutes of absolute distraction.

Truth be told, Gackt had to admit that he had never been so _intrigued_ with such a person.

That person, whose lithe lean body had been lingering by the small champagne fountain since entering.

That person who had been frowning darkly, quick brows drawn together in deep thought. Slender shoulders attractively poised in a slight slouch, long bangs of ebony framing refined cheekbones as dark eyes narrowed in silent ponderings.

That person who was currently tipping his glass over in quiet and apathetic manner, allowing its sparkling contents to churn into the fountain.

A smirk had emerged, one that of amusement.

_Interesting._

Sweeping up his cards and tucking them neatly within the palm of his hand, Gackt retreated from his table and called over his co-worker, who passively took over the youth's station. Without another thought, Gackt coolly made his way over to the beguiling man, quietly appraising the young lean body with calculative glances.

_Yes, yes._

The brunet allowed a small quiet smile to emerge.

It seems tonight's events have taken a rather unusual turn.

* * *

Hyde watched, mesmerised as he observed the small droplets of the pale drink swirl down towards the rim of the glass. Watching the small drops of yellow plop and splash into the confines of one of many glasses that had been skilfully constructed into miniature fountain.

A small frown of displeasure.

A scathing harrumph.

_Hn, stupid drink. Down you go._

It was a moment of content then. For some reason, the act of doing something discourteous as this had eased the painstaking reality of what was amiss then. It was like he was pouring out his tensions, watching them swirl and swirl and swirl in a mesmerising glows of soft gold. Swirling and swirling and…

And then, out of the blue, there was a gentle clearing of a throat. As well as the gentle touch of deft fingers upon a velvet red sleeve.

"Excuse me, sir."

Hyde frantically looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes soon widening in unadulterated surprise and blatant guilt as soon as they met a pair of deep blue ones.

…_a gradual, cautious emergence of deep blue eyes…_

Like a deer caught in headlights, his shoulders were held stiffened in alarm as a hand remained poised in mid-air, nimble long fingers loosely held the champagne glass over the fountain. Hyde stared at the taller man, rather rigidly. "Wh…"

_Drip. Plop. Drip. Plop._

There was a blink of hawk-like eyes.

_A __**foreigner**__?_

The tall brunet slowly raised his hand, a glimpse of black spades and glossy sheen of white could be seen between deft pale fingers. Under the dim light of the vicinity, sheens of copper glazed over russet tresses, obscuring those deep blue eyes. "I was simply wondering, what with you seemingly bored…"

…_a stunning copper sheen of brown hair and the swish of a long dark coat…_

_Plop. Plop._

Hyde moistened his lips, his dark eyes lightened with a small glint of wariness and curiosity. His fingers shifted, tilting the glass even further down. Thick yellow ribbons of pale liquid swiftly snaked downwards, trickling over enticing glass rims and down into the fountain in a sluggishly rushed manner.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly parched.

_Drip. _

There was an sensual upturn of full, pink lips. A glint of interest could be seen behind blue eyes.

_Drip._

A small flush of pink had unwittingly flourished upon refined cheeks. Another moistening of lips – an act of awkwardness.

_Drip._

And the young man slowly – _languorously_ - leaned in a tad bit closer (_too close, in fact)_ to Hyde before he huskily whispered: "Are you interested in playing a friendly game of poker?"

_A faint scent of cool musk was left in its wake._

_**Plop**__._

The champagne glass was empty.

* * *

**A/N:** Suika apologises for such a _sluggish _update. I had been experiencing the disastrous effects of motivational juice insufficiency. It's not very favourable /sobs/ Anyhow, with all the torturous exercise of dancing fingers across the keyboard, I finally managed to 'work it'. Reviews are delightfully embraced – the more, the merrier as they say. Pray that the next update won't be as sluggish as the last.


	3. The art of courtship and warfare

**A/N:** Firstly, THANK YOU for your patience and support for this fic. It really does make me feel good and encourages me to write more! Many, many thanks to **book-manga-freak**, **foxycat13, shutupandsing, mrsFOON**, **AyaKuro,** **Koshi Noriko**, **AngelicButterfly777,** **The Phan Ghost, PeaceLiterature,** **Escorregadia**, **camikaza**, **Firegirlchi, Fang500**, **Maiden Tsukimaru** and **L1NA3**. I'm glad you all enjoyed the second chapter. I'm also happy that you liked the portrayals of Gackt and Hyde – I was worried if I might have gone a little overboard, what with Hyde and his lovable idiocy, and Gackt being…Gackt? Anyways, an interesting question has been raised by the lovely **book-manga-freak** for the last chapter: Who exactly is Gackt dating?

Well, to be honest, Gackt is actually quite a freelancer - a player. He does not like the notion of commitment nor does he believe in a thing called 'love'. But that'll change. Soon. The girl that he was dating in Chapter Two was actually anonymous. It never occurred to me that Eboshisan could be a possible candidate. Hm. Perhaps they had dated before. /shrugs/ Now, regarding Gackt's relationship with You…

Simply stick around and find out. /grins/

**Warnings: **Usual profanity. Shonen-ai in the works. And gorgeous men. Uh-huh. Gorgeous men.

**Pairings:** Exclusively GacktxHyde…although a little Gackt/You lovin' is undeniably scrumptious as well. xD

**Disclaimer:** This story is **purely fiction** and is therefore **not intended to be taken as fact**. All publicly recognisable people in this story have been used for the work of fiction and **the authoress DOES NOT have the intention to imply that these events have happened, will happen or should happen.** The authoress has no absolute association with the renowned people and makes no claim of any sort on their persons.

* * *

"Excuse me, sir."

There was a blink of hawk-like eyes.

_Drip. Plop. Drip. Plop._

"I was simply wondering, what with you seemingly bored…"

_Plop. Plop._

He swallowed, his throat suddenly parched.

_Drip. _

There was a sensual upturn of full, pink lips. A glint of interest could be seen behind blue eyes.

_Drip._

A small flush of pink had unwittingly flourished upon refined cheeks. Another moistening of lips – an act of awkwardness.

_Drip._

And the young man slowly leaned in a tad bit closer (_too close, in fact)_ before he huskily whispered: "Are you interested in playing a friendly game of poker?"

_**Plop**__._

The champagne glass was empty.

**

* * *

**

**F r** o m** L** o **n** g **D** i **s t** **a **n **c **e

– **a **G**ac**kt**x**H**yd**e sto**ry** –

**C**ha**pt**er T**h**ree: T**h**e **a**r**t** **o**f c**our**ts**hi**p an**d** w**arf**ar**e**

By **s**** u I k a's** **w I n d** o _f_ t h e **c e l e s t I a l**

**

* * *

**

A sifting of cards.

A sweeping of a practised hand. The spreading of pristine white cards adorned with red and black intricacies occurred – the delicate shape of a smooth opened fan against the soft green surface of the table.

There was a narrowing of hawk-like eyes, a furrowing of quick brows as pliant lips were pursed into a small frown. A look of determination.

Pale nimble fingers were brandished into the air, soon to gently touch the seams of sensual lips. As half-lidded blue eyes peered intently through lowered lashes, there was a small complacent smile upon the brunet's lips.

A further narrowing of dark eyes commenced. "Well, well."

The young card dealer leaned forward a little, his elbow perched upon the edge of the table as those deep blue eyes surmised the man before him. He tilted his head to the side a bit, allowing russet bangs to fall attractively before those mesmerising eyes. The teasing smile remained unwavering. In fact, it only seem to widen a tad bit more. An act which only served to further enhance the youth's beautiful features. "Well, well."

Tapping a finger upon the face of his cards, Hyde allowed a smug smile to dance upon his lips. "It's a draw."

A nod. "Indeed it is."

A comfortable silence had blanketed around them then as the cards that both men loosely cradled within their hands were momentarily forgotten for it was, indeed, a gratifying moment for both parties to tactfully seize such a glorious opportunity to appraise one another. To evaluate one another. To **admire** one another.

A tentative moistening of pursed lips.

And the gentle sweep of long lashes across smooth cheekbones – a blink. The sensual smile had not wavered.

The scene was pleasant to the aesthetic eye.

Hyde reclined back against his seat, his dark eyes narrowed a tad bit in mild interest as he surveyed the youth before him. He raised his hand, allowing his fingers to sift through his hair. There was a curt flick of obscuring ebony locks as he brushed his long bangs away from his face. And the widening of a very smug smirk, "What a coincidence, Mr Dealer. You and I are tied."

Despite the haughty attempt of provocation upon the other man's behalf, the brunet in question merely smiled charmingly in return. "I believe you're right. Pray tell, I suppose it must be fate."

"Fate, Mr–?"

"Please, just call me Gackt."

Hyde blinked, surprised by the name that had been smoothly given to him. "What?"

"Gackt." The smile lingered, though this time it was dolled up with an appealing touch of enigma as he ran the tips of his fingers tantalisingly across the soft green surface of the table. In the dimness of the private room that they currently settled in, those deep blue eyes glimmered enticingly. "Just call me Gackt."

Unabashedly though unwittingly, a splash of pink flourished upon the dark haired male's cheeks and Hyde moistened his lips yet once again before he slowly enunciated the youth's name in a pensively meticulous manner. "Right…Gacktsan."

_What a strange name._

A chuckle. One of courteous amusement that was dabbed with a strange elegance that was startlingly endearing. "Please. Just address me as Gackt. It's simply more appropriate, sir."

"Oh, alright…Gackt."

A small pause – a pensive thought.

An awkward running of tongue across teeth.

A tautening of a jaw.

"Hyde."

Gackt looked at him, his blue eyes glowing. "Pardon?"

Hyde suppressed the urge to fidget (shudder more like) under that piercing blue gaze and moistened his lips for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that night. "Hyde. My name is Hyde."

The card dealer's smile seemed to brighten, an act which further complemented his beautiful features even more as he intently peered at the dark haired male through russet bangs. A small respectful nod of acknowledgement. "It's a pleasure to be acquainted with you, Hydesan."

"Ah!" A curt courteous bow of a head was obligatorily made in return. "Same here."

Soon, dexterous pale fingers reached out and swept up the red and black cards that had been neglected since, shuffling them absentmindedly before tucking them into the pocket of a crisp well-pressed uniform.

Hyde watched the performance with inadvertent intent. In mildly piqued interest, to be precise. He sat there watching the other, dark eyes surmising the delicate curves of the beautiful face which the younger male possessed. Meticulously, his eyes traced the refined curves of dark brows, the smooth curvature of a slender nose albeit the plaster that had been attractively pasted upon it, the smoothness and shapeliness of those appealingly soft pink lips…

"Hydesan."

Blinking out of his reverie, the man looked up. "Huh?"

Gackt had turned slightly in his seat, a minor sweep with the arc of his hand was made towards a door that led to a private room. A silent, polite invitation. The familiar charming smile had touched those full pink lips yet once again in genteelness and…_something_. "A drink for two? I would be honoured if you would accompany me for some refreshments. What do you say, Hydesan?"

Again. Those deep blue eyes glimmered ever so enticingly in the dim light that the dark haired man could not help but find himself quietly drawn to them.

Gackt looked at him in considerate expectancy.

There was a taut pursing of lips.

A curling of pale fingers around the hems of red and green.

Hyde bit his lower lip.

Contemplation. Evaluation. Calculation. A weighing between the odds and the evens.

And then.

"…Sure."

* * *

Hyde choked.

Upon doing so, he had sputtered his supposedly thirst-quenching drink (for him, it only served to parch his throat even further rather than quench it – the drink was _way _too strong and robust in flavour, despite the brunet stressing that this was indeed the _softest_ drink for him to conjure up) over his lips and down his chin, in a delightful liquid mess. He raised his sleeve to his lips in embarrassment, wiping himself with firm dabs as wide dark eyes stared back at the younger male who sat opposite him at the bar.

After taking an almost dainty sip of his drink, Gackt merely smiled with amiable contentment.

"No way! You're_ nineteen!?_" Hyde blurted out, none too graciously. The dark haired man stared in utter disbelief, eyes ever widening with every passing second as he took in the _extremely _tall (in his eyes by far) form of the _boy_ beside him. Nineteen! Good gracious. It was unbelievable! What on earth are parents feeding their children these days? Fertilisers? Hyde stared in wonder and awe.

"Why yes. Indeed I am," the brunet smoothly replied, looking mildly amused at the other male's outburst and not at all flinching under his scrutinising gaze, "And I suppose that you have just turned twenty, Hydesan?"

A twinge.

And a twiddling of thumbs.

Oh my.

Hyde coughed uncomfortably, averting his eyes elsewhere as a faint tint of pink splashed upon his cheeks. "Well, yeah…um, actually…I'm…uh, twenty-four."

Suddenly, the room's temperature had plummeted down drastically.

Hyde sank in his seat.

And Gackt's smile merely widened.

_Crap._

At that moment then, Hyde felt it obligatory to go and find a nice vacant spot beneath a rock and bury himself beneath it. Better yet, let the earth swallow him up at that moment then. A pitiful sniffle. Oh how woeful it was, to discover the youths of today are shooting up like skyscrapers! Hyde clenched his drink tightly and hunched his shoulders in utter shame.

How disgraceful.

A swift rush of air escaped through parted lips. A sigh of exasperation. "Ah…"

_It can't be helped._

"So…" Hyde rubbed the side of his face; an awkward smile had graced his lips as he raised the glass to his lips once again to swat away his brief depression and entertain himself with another distasteful shot of zesty robustness. Really. Could the awkwardness between them get any worse?

"So." Gackt merely echoed, a playful glint resided behind those blue eyes as the tips of his fingers circulated around the rim of his glass, brushing against pale yellow pearl drops – wiping away the remnants of alluring lips.

There was an awkward fiddle and the entanglement of fingers in between folds of red and green. A consistent anxious tapping of a shoe against the glazed, clean floor.

"I'm ashamed of myself."

A strangely delicate and melodious bark of laughter was made on behalf of the brunet as the youth flashed a dazzling smile his way. "Hydesan, you shouldn't. Well, you may think that it negatively but _I_ think your age simply adds more charisma to you. Truthfully, I find you more _appealing_ now, what with the fact you must be much more _experienced _than me. I like that."

…_Experienced?_

A strange gurgle had spluttered forth. And Hyde, who stared at Gackt, utterly flabbergasted, unconsciously clenched the hem of his shirt.

_Shit. Is he…is he…?_

Upon seeing his flustered being, however, the young card dealer had simply smiled (smirked?) as he raised his glass and took a leisured sip of his beverage.

_Dammit._

Awkwardly, Hyde rubbed the tip of his nose and cradled the neck of his glass gingerly, watching the mesmerising swirls of pearly bubbles and fizzes which circulated within it. Fleetingly, he noted how fascinating the spectacle was as he tentatively moistened his lips.

"Well then, I…I guess your height makes you even more eye-catching then."

Silence.

A blink.

And Hyde felt a sense of relief wash over him, a strange sense of victorious achievement as that creatively constructed sentence (which was thought up in a _whim_, mind you. What a miraculous accomplishment!) was coolly uttered in retaliation to the brunet's comment.

_Hah. Take __**that.**_

Glancing up from his glass, he was pleased to catch the surprised glint within those deep blue eyes as Gackt lowered his glass. However, instead of expecting an offended look from the brunet, Hyde was stumped to find the young man looking positively interested with his little 'compliment'. "Oh?"

"Eh?"

A fine brow was elegantly raised. Gackt cast the older man a small look, those piercing blue eyes silently asking him to elaborate further.

Hyde bit his lip, cringing slightly as he silently reprimanded himself for acting brashly and spitting out meaningless nonsense.

_.._

"Uh, well –"

_Alright, genius. Think_.

"-w-why –"

_Spit. It. Out._

"I think it's true. I mean, look at you! You're…you're…easily spotted." Hyde faltered and touched his half-filled glass, a strange fuzzy sensation flitted about his stomach as he began to feel slightly giddy. He rubbed the side of his face sheepishly, very well aware of the faint scarlet blush that had decided to settle upon his cheeks once again.

Good heavens.

How **embarrassing**.

Hyde sank further into his seat, feeling even more ashamed after digesting the fact that he had just conjured up _the_ lamest flattering remark (was it even meant to be one?) ever in a whim of unsolicited agitation. It was humiliating. Really, the man felt the sweet urge to scurry out of the vicinity and dig himself a nice small ditch to bury in.

There was an awkward twitch of full lips, one that was closely followed by…

A laugh. A sincerely genuine one in fact.

Hyde blinked, utterly stupefied. "W-Wha…so…?"

"What a strange compliment," Gackt looked pleasantly amused upon hearing this (what seemed to be) newfound information. He leaned forward and offered the dark-haired man a small smile, his deep blue eyes enticingly bright beneath his russet bangs, "Well now. This is the first time someone has _ever_ commented on my height."

_Oh fuck._

Inadvertently, the fierce blush flourished in all its vivid splendour. "Well, see – I only thought –"

_Dammit Hyde._

A fumbling of fingers. "Look, I– uh, you see – h-hey, I didn't mean to–"

_SHUT UP._

Hyde, upon being overwhelmed by the strict conduct of maintaining and retaining the invaluable mentality pigeonholed as 'male pride', merely pursed his lips into a taut line and trust himself not to speak. His dark eyes quickly averted to the table, suddenly taking an interest in the intricate swirls of smoothened wood beneath their glasses as his mind geared towards conjuring up a solution to solve this little predicament.

Gackt, on the other hand, seemed extremely entertained.

"No, no," the card dealer laughed, "Please. It's alright, sir. I'm not condemning you or anything. Quite the contrary. In fact, I like your frankness, Hydesan. Usually it's my eyes that people compliment on and are attracted to. But _you_, Hydesan…"

Slowly, Gackt reached over. Deft nimble fingers were elegantly extended and outstretched, slowly moving forward in a strangely teasing manner until the tips of those delicate digits gingerly touched the back of honey tan fingers which faintly twitched, moist with cool dew from the condensation of the sparkling yellow glass they held.

Startled, Hyde looked up.

Awkward dark brown clashed with unflappable deep blue.

_**Thump.**_

Slowly, cool fingers slid up moist ones. It was a delicate touch. An assuring touch. A _teasing_ touch.

A sensual smile was elegantly flashed.

And a tentative moistening of suddenly dry lips was given in return.

"You are _interesting_."

_**Thump.**_

A pregnant pause wedged into the scene, one that consisted of nothing but the faint beats of racing hearts and whispers of hushed shallow breaths. Hyde felt strangely light-headed; his fingers unconsciously closing around the neck of his glass as he lightly shuddered at the sheer coolness of the young man's fingers against his own. Upon how they delicately smoothened the minute droplets of water against his, how they slickly caressed across his skin, how they tentatively curled around his own in a sensuous manner – like a covert act of putting one's claim…

_**Thump.**_

Suddenly, Hyde felt uncomfortably _hot_.

_**Thump.**_

_What the…_

He swallowed back a mysterious lump that was present within the confines of his oddly constricted throat. "I-Interesting, Ga…?" He trailed off, unable to continue. At that moment, the man had surprisingly forgotten the basics of speech and the workings of the oral cavity. Pray tell, Hyde was rendered absolutely **speechless**.

"Yes," a glint of _something _had ignited behind those blue eyes, "Very_, very_ interesting."

A hitching of breath.

_**Thump**__._

_Why is the room spinning…?_

_**Thump.**_

_Why does it feel so hot?_

_**Thump.**_

There was an uncomfortable shift within the seat – a fidget.

_Why…?_

At that moment Gackt had cleverly decided to leisurely lean forward, shifting a little closer towards him as those sensual full lips slowly parted to speak.

Unconsciously, Hyde held his breath, his sneakers unconsciously digging into the floor as his gaze was locked with the younger man's own.

Another moistening of lips – an act of blatant awkwardness, and silent _expectation_.

_So deep…so __**blue**__._

"Hydesan…"

_Oh god._

Those lips looked way too alluring.

Another swallow.

And Gackt leaned even closer.

_Crap._

_**Thump. **_

_**Thump. **_

_**Thump.**_

Fingers tightened around delicate glass.

_**Thump. **_

_**Thump. **_

_**Thump.**_

A small shudder – of hidden _delight_.

…_why…Why–?_

And then.

An accidental slip of fingers.

There was a widening of startled brown and astonished blue.

An exhalation of breaths – surprised gasps – and a hasty withdrawal of tingling hands, an act which was quickly pursued by a…

_Thud. _

_Tinkle. _

_Slosh._

"Ah, c-crap–_shit_!"

"Hydesan!"

Lo and behold. The toppling of a sparkling yellow glass.

What a spectacle.

* * *

"Please."

A small velvety cloth was flourished, ready to be put to use.

"Hydesan, I apologise…"

There was a softening of blue eyes – a rueful look that was tenderly emphasised with courteousness and startlingly sincere guilt.

Gackt offered the cloth with a polite bow.

And a wave of a hand was given in return with a small frown.

Hyde found himself in quite a muddle, feeling awkwardly uncomfortable with the amount of attention the younger man was currently showering him with. Really, never had he met someone so stiffly _polite _and genteel at such a tender young age – a _male _no less. It was quite a revelation. "Hey, it's alright. I mean, I'm naturally a klutz anyway so…"

Gackt shook his head with an air of absolute resoluteness and reached over, dabbing the cloth against Hyde's damp front all the while ignoring the older man's strangled squawk of surprise. "No, it's our duty and responsibility as the staff members of Ryoji's to be culpable for any faults of our patrons, accidental or not."

Hyde opened his mouth to retort, only to falter when Gackt stubbornly leaned closer to him in order to gain more of the damp material. He sighed in defeat. It seems that any attempts to influence the younger man were bound to deem fruitless. Like him, the brunet possessed a bit of a mulish nature which was unnervingly charming for some odd reason.

A small smile went unnoticed by both parties.

Meanwhile, Gackt smiled wistfully with a distant look in his eyes whilst gingerly pressing the cloth forward in order to let the material absorb the liquid. "How cunning."

Hyde blinked out of his reverie. "What?"

Confident deep blue eyes glanced up into disorientated dark ones.

"Fate. She is very cunning. Strange, isn't it? How we are unwittingly thrown into a dramatically cinematic scene where the most sensationally clichéd way to meet one another has been played as of this moment?" An enticingly enigmatic smile was delivered as the cloth was further pressed against his chest – as a way of moving in closer, of maintaining contact through folds of clothed fingers. Gackt parted his lips and softly spoke, "Hydesan, do you believe in her as well as Destiny?"

_Hah?_

Hyde could not help but blink in mild surprise.

Pray tell, could Gackt be a hopeless romantic who passionately indulges in the powers of the cosmos and magazine horoscopes, and believes that such nonsense have the right to dictate his life?

The brunet looked on with a small glint of earnestness in his eyes.

Good gracious.

"Um. Well, I…guess. Sort of. But I…not all the time 'cause…it…"

There was a small curling of clothed fingers against red material which further pressed forward and gingerly rubbed in order to absorb more of the stubborn stain.

It was an assuring yet worrying gesture in one fell swoop.

_**Thump.**_

"It…?" Gackt gently coaxed.

There was a slight tilt of a head, causing the stray strands of sleek dark hair to sway forward. And Hyde could not help but take note of the fact that for some reason, at that moment then, Gackt's eyes seem to look much bluer than before.

"It's…just for women. Things like Fate and Destiny…they're nothing but romantic thoughts for girls and ladies, especially if…" Hyde's eyes followed the gentle slope of the younger man's nose (strangely, the plain band-aid seemed complemented his fine features), soon to settle upon those smooth full lips. Unconsciously, the dark-haired man moistened his own. "…they start rambling about nonsense like reuniting with…long lost daughters…and enforcing femininity on men who…"

Dark eyes looked up into deep blue.

_**Thump**__._

"…don't look like young women…at all…"

Hyde merely stared up at the (_goddamn it, _attractive) face of the young card dealer, the sentences which had been constructed in his mind had long disappeared as he found himself unable to speak coherently – let alone keep the conversation going at all. Strangely he found it pointless really, deciding to do nothing at that moment but to just sit there and simply _stare_.

The gentle circular rubs of dexterous fingers against a lean chest had long faltered. There was a small smile upon Gackt's lips. "Is that so?"

A nod, executed absentmindedly. "Yeah."

"I see." There was a chuckle as Gackt allowed a pleased look to radiate from his beautiful face. His fingers tightened around the damp cloth. "Honest and blunt. Original, indeed."

"Eh?" Puzzled, Hyde frowned in thought. "What…do you mean?"

Gackt smiled warmly, those full lips parting a little to reveal a row of beautiful white teeth. "Truly Hydesan, you are very interesting. I really like you."

_Shit. _

There was an uncomfortable shift.

He's_ the one who's blunt._

Seeing how increasingly flustered he was slowly becoming, Hyde decided to wisely choose that moment to simply mesh his lips together and silence himself, ignoring the itching urge to rub the area of his chest where his heart was rapidly pounding.

Gackt, on the other hand, looked very satisfied upon his effortless achievement.

What in the world…?

_Is he…__**enjoying**__ my discomfort?_

The older man scowled a little.

_Hn._

Bracing himself, Hyde leaned a little closer to the brunet and softly spoke. "Yeah, well I guess you're quite an attractive person yourself. And it's not just because of your eyes and your height."

_Surprise, surprise._

Gackt, who had folded the cloth neatly and was in the course of reaching over to the dark haired man's shirt once again, halted to an abrupt stop. Peering through russet bangs, deep blue eyes widened a tad bit in surprise – those captivating orbs clashing with a pair of piercing dark ones that looked back with a boldness that was strangely attractive.

Beyond the closed door of the small private room, a joyous cheer of exhilarated gamblers could be heard.

There was a swallow.

A slight parting of lips, accompanied with a swift rush of air – a small inaudible gasp.

And the mutual thumping of racing hearts. A small shudder of _delight _coursed through bodies then as the sides of slender legs accidentally brushed, scratchy denim moving ever so sensually against smooth black cotton.

"Attractive, Hydesan?"

Worn sneakers shifted uncomfortably across the wooden floor before settling down with a small stomp of resolution. Hyde discreetly bit his bottom lip, jaw tautened with poised assertion. As much as he would like to deny it…

"…yeah. You are."

It was **fruitless**.

_Well. Well._

Gackt could not help but quietly smirk at the highlight of his supposedly mundane night.

_Checkmate._

There was a pregnant pause, one that consisted nothing but the unwavering holds of intense gazes that merely deepened the strange tensionthat was swirling around them, like snakes coiling affectionately.

Hyde clutched at the scratchy material of his jeans and clenched it tightly, blinking a few times in order to cease the strange giddiness that was bubbling within him. He dug the sole of his shoe deeper into the floor, swallowing back a mysterious lump which had appeared in his throat. Once again, Gackt's eyes seemed to look even bluer than before.

Such depth…those eyes…they're so…

He fidgeted under the brunet's calculative scrutiny; the intense blueness of those eyes causing him to withdraw from the little space that was left between them.

…**beguiling.**

His tongue slowly snaked out from between the seams of lips, tentatively moistening the chapped flesh with the gentlest of licks.

And Gackt watched this attentively; his jaw seem to tauten a little as those scrutinising blue eyes now bore of glint of _something_. A _something _that seemed to make his breath hitch, to make him shift uneasily in his seat, to make him feel incredibly dizzy and…

He averted his attention elsewhere, dark brown eyes absentmindedly appraising the sparkling cocktail glasses that hung above the small bar they were seated at as he felt his whole body becoming uncomfortably hot when Gackt decided to place the damp cloth on the bar's counter. And seize the opportunity to lean a tad bit closer to him.

"…Hydesan?"

Warm breath, tinged with alcoholic zest, brushed across his cheek in a sensually enticing manner, triggering a small tremor through his body.

_Oh god._

Dark eyes fluttered a little, his fingers weakening their harsh clutches around scratchy material, and clouded over with a faint mist of unspoken _yearn_.

_He's so __**close.**_

He felt nauseous. It was suffocating. He felt like he was falling down deep. Deeper and deeper, drowning in the scent of the brunet's cool musk (with a dash of tobacco, Hyde couldn't help but note) which seemed to wholly engulf him then.

Gackt's breath ghosted across his lips.

Hyde almost gasped, the tantalising sensations that had been blooming throughout this predicament was making his mind reel. Damn, the alcohol was getting to him. It must have, because there was no way–

_What…what is __**this**__?_

_Stop. This is just…_

The brunet's fingers gingerly crept over the table and gently touched his own.

_I __**can't**__…!_

"A-Ah, _shit!_ Is it that late already? Oh, wow, time sure flies, doesn't it?" Hyde glanced at his watch (almost sighing with relief that the hour was conveniently very late – thank god!) before he clumsily stood up from his stool and instantly broke the awkward yet serene silence that had momentarily fallen between them with the precise brushes of hands against jeans to rid the imaginary dust which clung onto them. Suffice to say, it was merely an act of regaining one's composure, a strengthening of one's frame of mind – and to shake off the weird jitteriness that coursed through his body then. "Uh, sorry about this…Gackt but…I have to leave. A…_relative_ of mine doesn't like it when I stay out too long, especially at night so I…"

A small chuckle had been injected into the exchange, an act which splendidly masked the small look of disappointment which braced the card dealer's face.

"I understand."

Dark eyes lowered. "Ah…"

"Come."

Smiling, Gackt soon rose to his feet in one grace movement and smoothly ushered Hyde along with him out of the private room and through the throngs of boisterous casino-goers, slowly guiding the way to the entrance of the casino in a succession of slow, reluctant steps. "It's perfectly alright, Hydesan. No need to apologise, you may come and go at any time you wish. You have the power to make decisions. After all, you are our patron."

"Ah, that's right." Hyde awkwardly grinned with a small chuckle as he scratched his cheek. They stepped through the sliding doors of Ryoji's, leaving behind the warm laidback atmosphere of tobacco smoke, champagne and tapping roulettes in order to welcome the rasping breaths of Autumn, which swept across their flushed cheeks. "I actually forgot about that for a while."

Lips parted – warm wisps of air condensing into miniature white clouds that momentarily lingered in the chilly night air.

A chuckle. "I see."

The doors slid close.

Another cheer roused from within the building, muffled by the roars of speeding taxis as they tore down the road (probably carrying ecstatic drunken passengers), leaving a spine-chilling blast of cool autumn air in its wake.

Shuddering slightly, Hyde hunched his shoulders and lightly stomped, performing a small warm-up dance upon the cold hard ground.

And Gackt merely watched him with those deep blue eyes.

There was an awkward pursing of chapped lips.

As well as the upturning of full sensual ones.

"However…"

"Eh?"

Hyde glanced up from the interesting spectacle of his dancing sneakers – and his breath hitched, his eyes catching that strange glint of _something _(_What is it? What is that look you give me?_) within the brunet's breathtaking blue ones. He watched the other, mesmerised by the deftness of his nimble long fingers as they reached into the breast pocket of his crisp white shirt and drew out one of the many cards of his deck in an impressively practised manner. A card which, after being gently brushed across the plump soft flesh of full pink lips…

There was an enigmatic glimmer of blue eyes as Gackt leisurely leant forward, his arm snaking around him to hold the older male in a loose embrace.

"E-_eh_?"

And a small startled gasp escaped from parted lips as Hyde, awestruck, soon found himself gawking up at Gackt's devastatingly beautiful face.

…was soon found audaciously buried into the warm confines of the back pocket of his jeans.

_W-W-W-__**What**__–!_

Hyde bristled and sputtered in incredulity, his cheeks flushed with utmost mortification.

And Gackt simply smirked, those blue eyes glimmering ever so enticingly from beneath long dark lashes.

"Do drop by Ryoji's again. I really _do _look forward to our next meeting, Hydesan."

* * *

_SLAM._

In a clumsy succession of wobbly steps and uncontrolled sways (which resulted in a few bumps and thumps here and there, as well as a generous splutter of curses), Hyde finally collapsed onto his bed and released a small sigh, slightly easing the strenuous tension and giddiness which had been contained within his body since he left Ryoji's. It had been an uncomfortably fast ride from the casino to the apartment – one that consisted of too many skids and daring swerves around tight bends of city streets – an event which merely acted as a dangerous catalyst to his upcoming intoxication and hangover in the very near future. Pursing his lips in a taut line, the dark-haired man refrained the irresistible urge to retch out his previous meal (which was yesterday's, it seems – as Hyde stubbornly refused to eat anything else apart from his dearly beloved curry rice, the only source of nutrition he seemed to live on. The stupid fool).

"Ah…bloody hell." He swallowed back a stubborn foul-tasting lump which seemed to rebelliously fight its way up his throat, triggering an unpleasant shudder down his spine.

Heavens, it was bad enough that he had forced himself to have his first ever alcoholic drink in a tobacco-infested casino and upset his system.

Another swallow was forcefully made. "Shit. Persistent little bastard, aren't you…" he groaned, ignoring the angry grumbles his stomach was making as well as the painful throbs of a building headache.

But it was also bad that he had actually _forgotten_ the actual motive of his revolutionary expedition to the outside world. Yes, for once in his entire life, his attention had been successfully – effortlessly, no doubt! – diverted from his ever beloved curry rice by one man. One devastatingly attractive – no, _beautiful,_ Hyde had to admit that he was sinfully beautiful, dammit– man.

"Shit, shit, _shit_."

It was incredibly frustrating.

Oh dear, it seems there would be no dinner tonight. How unfortunate.

"Hyde, you are an absolute asshole. How the fucking hell can you actually _forget_ about your goddamn…urgh…"

A nauseous sensation washed over the man and Hyde curled his body inward, in hopes of warding off the wooziness – only to blanch and groan when the act merely caused his mind to reel and his stomach to churn ever so unpleasantly. The image of a handsome helping of mouth-watering curry rice seemed to make him feel sicker than better.

A sickening gurgle was sounded, followed by a handful of coughs and chokes.

Ah, cruel fate it is.

_Oh god. Please._

He pressed the palms of his cool hands against his face, relishing in the callousness of his fingers that brushed against his flushed skin.

"Shit."

_Hold it together._

Inhale.

There was a faint scent of spine-tingling cool musk upon his hands.

Exhale.

And it smelt nice.

Upon making this small discovery, Hyde could not help but take another deep breath, feeling satisfied with how the waves of light-headedness from the alcohol were slowly ebbing away as he unconsciously savoured the coolness of the musk that rushed through his lungs. His attention towards the unpleasant feeling of drunkenness was shifting away to one particular…

Another inhalation.

And a small shudder coursed through his weary body, an act which was closely followed with another deep exhalation as the image of deep blue eyes flashed in his mind. He shifted against the mattress of his bed, fleetingly taking note of the card that was snuggled within the back pocket of his jeans. The card that had been so stealthily placed there by–

_Gackt._

A fluttering of dark lashes and half-lidded eyes inattentively stared up at the ceiling.

_Gackt._

Honey-tan fingers ran down the side of a lean stomach, slowly travelling lower and lower as narrow hips began to raise themselves up slowly in a dream-like pace…

"Gackt."

The name rolled off his lips in an unwittingly yet strangely sensual way. It sounded exotic, unique and rich – like warm smooth chocolate, its sweetness rolling across the sensitive taste buds of his tongue, igniting his senses – **stimulating**…

…before they eventually buried into the warm confines of scratchy denim, the tips of his fingers touched what he absent-mindedly sought for.

A small inaudible gasp.

Hyde tentatively licked his lips in apprehension. His heart thumping wildly against his chest as he shifted against the sheets of his bed once again, his long dark hair loose and fanned out beneath him in a delightfully appealing mess.

"_Hydesan…"_

Maintaining a better grip, he slowly pulled it out of his jeans and dazedly looked at it, blinking owlishly as he raised it a little to the dim light for a better view.

"…_I really do look forward to our next meeting."_

There, feebly held between his shaky fingers was the card that the dazzling brunet had given him.

Pliant lips slowly parted.

And a name written upon the white face of the card was slowly enunciated.

"_Camui…Gackt_."

* * *

"Gacchan…"

A small grin surfaced. Gackt could not help but laugh when he heard the blond growl and fume over the line, hissing out an inconsistent string of heated reproaches and foul curses.

" – fuck, goddamn it – _shit_ – urgh, for crying out loud! What the fuck do you want at this goddamn hour, you ignorant bastard! Don't tell me you've crashed your car _again_. Jeez, Gacchan, this is the **sixth** time this year! Where are you right now? I'm gonna kick that fucking ass of yours as soon as I find you! Dammit, don't you ever get it in that shitty brain of yours – fuck, where are my jeans – dammit, Gackt! Just where the _hell_ are you?"

A mischievous smirk. "At home."

"At home! Jeez, what the fuck are you doing, crashing into bloody lampposts a–" You abruptly ceased his heated rants. His frantic ragged breathing gradually slowed as a deep inhalation was made.

Gackt, on the other hand, merely exhaled a wisp of tobacco into the night air and listlessly watched the ashes from his cigarette float to the ground. His lips, carefully moistened to an appealing shade of pinkness, twitched into a smirk of amusement.

"What?" came the feeble response.

"I'm at home. No crashes tonight, love."

There was a faint rustle of cloth and a heavy slump which ended with the distinct clink of metal against floorboards. You had dropped his jeans in stupefied disbelief. Soon, a small weary sigh was released. "…fucking prick. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

The brunet laughed as he slowly made his way into his quiet dimly-lit lodging, his feet finding their way to the staircase with ease. "Me? Good heavens! Now why would I do such a thing to my dearly beloved?"

"…"

"…"

"Screw you, Gacchan. I'm hanging up."

"What? But Youchan…"

* * *

Suddenly, there was a succession of brisk, confident steps climbing up the stairs which soon crossed the landing before approaching the door that belonged to one despicable bastard. A scornful laugh resounded throughout the silence, one that simply dripped with absolute snootiness.

"No, no. Please, Youchan! Oh, you hurt me. But I am serious, love…I just can't seem to stop _thinking _about _you._ All night, my mind is just filled with vivid thoughts of you. Why, even more during this _lonely_ hour."

Hyde's eye twitched, the dizzying thoughts of a certain blue-eyed card dealer slowly dissipating as soon as he heard his neighbour plop heavily onto his bed and…

His nose twitched.

Tobacco.

A foul curse was vehemently hissed.

Why that despicable, goddamn son of a bitch! How dare he smoke indoors! Not just indoors, but on **his **floor, beside **his** room, within **his **proximity!

Hyde gnashed his teeth.

Good gracious, the audacity!

Glaring up at the gap, he ground his teeth spitefully when another wicked laugh floated over to singe his ears. As well as a nauseating cloud of smoke and ash. Hyde coughed, choking violently when he unwillingly inhaled the toxic, cancer-triggering substance. Amidst reverberating hacks and wheezes, the insensitive bastard next door merely continued with his conversation with absolute gaiety and ease.

Heaven forbid…was this a conspiracy hatched up against him? A sly attempt at first-degree murder?

There was a pursuing of taut lips.

"Tch. Asshole."

Scowling at this, Hyde sat up and furiously slammed his fist against the wall in irritation with a loud bang.

Another laugh. And another puff of tobacco was blissfully exhaled.

Good gracious, it seems like the man took no heed of the silent warning that had been cast by one peeved Hyde, who seemed extremely keen with glaring a hole into the blasted wall that was erected between them.

More laughter. "Oh, Youchan!"

A gritting of teeth. _Why that no good–!_

"– hmm? What's that? You're…oh, my neighbour? _Well_…"

There was a narrowing of dark eyes. As well as the tentative curling of fingers around folds of bed sheets.

"It's just like I said before, Youchan. He's nothing but a fucking little hot headed _midget_ who–"

Hyde snapped.

In a maelstrom of rage and incredulity, Hyde jumped up to his feet and viciously lashed his foot out, kicking the flimsy poor excuse of a wall with such force that it actually shook.

"KINKY BASTARD! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET, EH?! PRICK! C'MERE AND SAY IT TO MY FACE, YOU BLOODY FAGGOT!"

* * *

_THUD!_

Gackt jumped, startled by the sudden violent sound that resounded from the wall beside him. Tightening his fingers around the sleek body of his cell phone, the young man anxiously eyed a particular spot beside him before he glanced up at the irritating gap above the wall, grimacing when a series of ear-deafening inhuman screeches were emitted from the _lab rat _next door. Glaring at the wall, he clicked his tongue in irritation and shifted towards the edge of the bed, placing a good (safe) distance between himself and the thin wall.

"–Gacchan?"

"Oh, Youchan. Sorry about that. Were you saying something?"

"What's going on? I hear screaming." You's voice was now full with concern.

"Ah, that." There was an exhalation of tobacco, an act closely followed with a paltry shrug. "Hn. Little shithead's all worked up right now. Believe it or not, but he's actually trying to break the wall down with his pansy broom. Fucking prat. I keep telling him that I'm not interested in someone as unattractive as him but –"

Upon hearing this, a foul curse was venomously spat by the man next door and a vicious blow from said broom was unjustly delivered across the face of the poor abused wall.

"THE FU – WHY YOU SHIT-FACED SONOVA–!"

Smirking, Gackt rolled his cigarette between his fingers – once, twice – before he carelessly tossed it up and over the flimsy partition between the two rooms, chuckling with amusement as soon as he heard the shrillness of his neighbour's voice as a splutter of colourful curses erupted from his mouth (it seems the midget's bed was now on fire because of his cigarette – _oh well_) and the small tired sigh that came from You's end of the line.

Oh yes…

A triumphant smirk. And Gackt reclined against his pillow, fingers reaching into his pocket for another cigarette.

Revenge was definitely sweet.

* * *

**A/N:** When writing, I can clearly picture a particular scene in my mind in all its vividness, shades and colours. The only trouble that entails this is actually writing the scene out and making it bloom to life in the reader's mind. This was the major problem I faced as I laboriously typed this chapter up as well as my others fics. Urgh, I suck at writing right now – I feel like crying. Hope this chapter was worth the wait! xD


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